


Drakgo in October!

by bcbdrums



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Animals, Children, Cooking, Dessert & Sweets, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Family, Feels, Fluff, Food, Food Poisoning, Friendship, Ghosts, Halloween, Humor, Non-Graphic Smut, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Nymphs & Dryads, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parenthood, Pets, Pirates, Poisoning, Pregnancy, Romance, Travel, Vampires, World Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26742118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcbdrums/pseuds/bcbdrums
Summary: A prompt a day in October!  Written for my current obsession, Drakgo, because I can only handle one obsession at a time if I want to do them well!
Relationships: Dr. Drakken & Shego (Kim Possible), Dr. Drakken/Shego (Kim Possible)
Kudos: 12





	1. Fruit

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: A prompt each day for the entire month of October! Drakgo mini-fics. Or at least, the goal is "mini." I seem incapable of writing short things, so this is my practice.
> 
> [Prompts Here](https://millennialboss.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Drawing-Prompts-October-2020.jpg)
> 
> 1\. Fruit

"It's a fruit."

"It's a vegetable."

The words were spoken flatly, with no inflection and with no eye-contact exchanged as they disembarked the hover-car. The argument had gone on so long that it was hardly worth having, but neither was willing to let it go.

Shego looked around with a grimace at the place Drakken had brought them, at the families with their kids milling about in groups, squealing and crying, and at the orange lumps dotting the field which was complete with hay bales, scarecrows, and gimmicky wooden cutouts for families to take pictures with.

She groaned dramatically and rolled her eyes as she looked at Drakken, who scowled furiously in response.

"Why did we have to come to an actual pumpkin patch to get a pumpkin? We could have gone to the grocery store. Or ordered one over the Internet."

"Because, Shego," Drakken said with a growl, "it's nostalgic. Don't you have happy memories of going to the pumpkin patch with your family?"

"Uh, no?" she said, following him and staring at the ground as he wove his way through the vines covering the ground. They weren't entirely unlike Drakken's own. "I grew up in Go City, remember? No pumpkin patches. And even if there were, my family was _poor_. We couldn't have afforded this commercial trap anyway."

Drakken didn't respond immediately, and Shego looked up. His expression was one of sympathy and thoughtful consideration. She scoffed and rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms and looked away.

"Can't you just pick one so we can go?"

Drakken gestured somewhere distant and Shego looked up again.

"These ones actually...aren't for cooking. They taste awful. The ones for cooking are over there."

Drakken was pointing to a distant check-out stand where people were lined up to purchase their pumpkins. It took her several seconds to notice the large wooden bin with pumpkins piled within near the stand.

"Then let's get this over with," she said, stalking past him and toward the bin, watching the ground to avoid stepping on anything undesirable.

Drakken frowned at her departure but followed quickly after. He didn't understand Shego's disdain for going to the pumpkin patch. It was the most innocent of places... Perhaps it was the upcoming dinner with his mother that had her concerned? Or the fact that he was trying to teach her how to cook, and that everything seemed to be happening all at once in their lives.

His frown grew as he looked at her hunched posture as she dodged the pumpkins on the ground on her way to the bin. He was trying not to be irritated with her attitude. The fruit v. vegetable argument he suddenly viewed as a distraction from whatever else might be bothering her, and he wondered if perhaps he pushing for too much too soon.

When Shego reached the bin of sugar pumpkins she peered down, her eyes glazed over as she didn't really look at the multi-colored lumps. Drakken stepped up beside her and cautiously set a hand on her shoulder.

"Shego..." He cleared his throat softly. "You can...start our vacation early. I'll give Mother an excuse for why you're missing her birthday."

Shego started and looked up at him, her hard green eyes locked on his.

"What?"

"You can go on ahead to the beach. I'll...catch up later."

Shego studied him, as if looking for a pretense for his words. Her eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

Drakken shrugged and looked down at the pumpkins. He suddenly felt anxious.

"I know...how difficult Mother can be, and she'll be...even worse now that we're...uhm..." He glanced at Shego, uncertain what to call what they were. Dating? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Everything sounded strange. "...A couple. So you can skip this one."

Drakken picked two large pumpkins and got in the line to pay, which had thankfully shortened. Shego's silence only made his anxiety worse, so he decided to fill it.

"Shego—"

She wasn't standing at his side anymore. He whirled around and spotted her heading back toward the hover-car. His heart sank, and he turned back to face the line with his face twisting in worry.

Maybe she wouldn't want to be a couple anymore, if it meant dealing with his mother...and having to be so domestic. It was why he had suggested the vacation at all, to moderate how boring he knew he was on his own. If he could just find enough ways to keep her interested...

After he paid for the pumpkins and started back to the hover-car, he resolved to upgrade the vacation package. That would surely interest her. And maybe then she would forget that he had wanted to teach her to make pumpkin pie, since his mother had strong feelings about women cooking for their men. And maybe she would stay with him a little longer...

Inside the car, Shego sat in the passenger seat with her head down, her hands fidgeting in her lap and with the ends of her hair. Drakken wordlessly put the pumpkins in the back seat and then hopped in and started the car.

They spoke at the same time.

"I'm going to upgrade the—"

"I'll stay."

Drakken paused, his breath catching. _'Stay...?'_

"You can...teach me how to make pie, and I'll..." she sighed, "force a smile through all your mother's questions. A heads-up about things she might ask would be nice."

Drakken studied her worriedly. Her expression was genuine, and softer than he was used to. She looked a bit anxious herself.

She leaned across the space between them and placed a warm kiss on his lips. He barely had time to kiss her back before she had pulled away and was back in her seat, her cheeks coloring lightly.

"You can start our vacation without me," he said quickly. "I-I don't mind. I'm going to upgrade the package."

Shego frowned lightly. "I've sat alone on the beach enough... I'd rather wait for you."

Drakken swallowed nervously, but his anxiety began to lift as Shego reached across the distance between them and set her hand on hers, her cheeks coloring further. He grinned and wove his fingers between hers.

As the craft lifted off the ground, a bumping behind them caused them both to turn their heads. The pumpkins had rolled slightly and bumped into the side of the car. Drakken and Shego looked back at each other.

"It's a fruit."

"It's a vegetable."

Neither could hold the hard look in their eyes and chuckled after only a moment, holding their hands tighter.


	2. Bat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Based on a true story.
> 
> 2\. Bat

Drakken opened his eyes in the dark as he became aware of a strange sound. The sound moved overhead near the ceiling, back and forth across the room with no discernible pattern. It was soft and rapid, and his mind quickly filled in the blank that it was the flapping of wings he was hearing. But it didn't sound like any flapping he had heard before; not a bird.

_Bat._

Whether from the darkness or from tales of danger, Drakken felt fear begin rising in him.

"Shego?" he whispered loudly into the dark. The fluttering of leathery wings passed over his head. "Shego?"

"Hnn?" was the low groan of reply, his wife's voice thick with sleep.

"There's something in here!" he hissed in fear.

"Hnnn?" the groan sounded louder as she remained asleep and unaware.

"Shego, something's in the room! I think it's a bat."

"Hn, wha?" she groaned again, rolling over to face him.

Her arm draped heavily across his waist as her nine-month pregnant belly pressed into his stomach. He held her arm tightly as he listened to the soft, constant sound as the invader zig-zagged above their heads.

"Shego, wake up!" he hissed desperately.

"What?" she groaned, the word finally coherent and the volume of her voice leveling off to normal.

"There's something in here, flying! I think it's a bat!"

He heard fumbling and then squinted as his eyes were suddenly assaulted with light. Shego's face was the same as she brought her hand back to cover her face from where she had turned on the bedside lamp.

"What?" she repeated as she rubbed her eyes.

Drakken peered up, and sure enough, a tiny bat was flying haphazardly around near the ceiling of their bedroom in the lair. He looked back to Shego who was squinting upward in annoyance. Her eyes fell upon the bat and her brow furrowed. Then she turned her ire back to him.

"How'd it get in here?" she asked.

Drakken recoiled slightly. "I don't know!"

"Well, get it out," she said, laying her head back down.

"H-How? Don't...don't bats carry plague, and leprosy?"

Shego squinted at him again. He knew she understood the danger he feared, but he was at a loss for what to do about it. And she clearly expected him to come up with the solution. And quickly, from the look in her eyes. Sleep was hard enough for her as it was, in her condition.

"Can...can you shoot it?"

Shego's frown deepened. "It's just a bat. Look, it got in somehow. Get it out the same way."

Drakken sat up slowly as he thought, his eyes never leaving the tiny threat. There was a small window in the bathroom...and he had opened it during his shower.

"The window..." he mused.

"Well, get it out."

Drakken sat up and looked around. He didn't know how he was supposed to shoo a bat into the bathroom, especially when it was far out of reach on the ceiling. Not to mention he couldn't see it well... He had taken out his contact lenses and his glasses were...?

Where were they?

He didn't know. He left the bed and picked up the t-shirt he'd worn that day. His heart was pounding as he peered up to where the small form fluttered about. Maybe he could swat at it with his t-shirt and shoo it that way. Or maybe hit it and catch it. Although the thought that the bat was touching anything and possibly transmitting diseases made him ill.

He lunged upward with the t-shirt, swatting wildly when the small shape flew toward him. He missed it, but it darted down lower—straight toward Shego.

"Drakken!" she shouted in anger as she recoiled from the bat. "What are you doing!?"

"Trying to shoo it toward the bathroom," he said anxiously as he swatted again as the thing flew near him. Or, he'd thought it was near. He wasn't entirely sure with his vision so blurred.

"Drakken!"

He stopped and peered to where Shego was glaring at him. He ducked as the bat flew near again.

"Look, just...turn off the night-light in the bathroom. That's probably why it got disoriented in the first place. Then turn the light off in here. Bats only see in the dark, or something?"

Drakken felt embarrassed and hoped it didn't show as he twisted the t-shirt in his hands. He hurried into the bathroom where he opened the window fully and then turned off the dim overhead light. He went back to the bedroom and warily eyed the small animal that had resumed its zig-zagging near the ceiling. Shego was still frowning as he crawled back into bed and turned out their light.

He realized a sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead and down his chest and back. Nonetheless, Shego pressed her back against him as he settled into his pillow, the sound overhead still making him nervous.

He could sense Shego's annoyance with him even though she didn't say anything, and as he put his arm around her to find her hand he felt compelled to speak.

"Sorry," he said quietly and a bit sheepishly.

"Like you could have hit it..." she muttered. But her fingers entwined with his a moment later. He felt her breathing calm even as his heart continued to pound.

He tried to ignore the sound above and instead focused on his wife's breathing and her hand in his. He breathed in the scent of her hair and thought about their soon-to-be born child, protected in Shego's womb.

He smiled as he slipped back into sleep, never noticing when the leathery fluttering overhead ceased.


	3. Candy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The character of Carmella Sweets is borrowed with permission from the incomparable **[Gothicthundra](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/466264/Gothicthundra)**. If you haven't read her KP fanfics, DO SO! This story is sort of a crossover between her headcanons and mine.
> 
> This story has a bit of an M rating. Nudity, hints of sexuality, and a split-second of non-graphic intimacy.
> 
> 3\. Candy

The weather was perfect as Shego relaxed back into the chair at the street cafe and looked around. The leaves had just begun to turn, and there was the faintest hint of a breeze cooling the last warmth of the summer air. The flowers hanging from the lamp posts above left a sweet scent hanging in the air, made more prominent by the breeze. And across the table from her, Drakken held a pleasant smile on his face as he sipped the drink their waiter had brought.

The tour of Europe had proven to be an excellent vacation idea, providing enough diversions without being too taxing. It was a great 'get to know each other' sort of trip, unlike her preferred spa and beach getaways or his research-based trips. And learning the deeper quirks and interests each other possessed was fun, perplexing, and trying all at once.

Relationships were not easy.

Drakken favored her with a shy yet eager smile, but then suddenly he startled, his eyes widening at something over her shoulder.

"What—?"

"Don't look... Uhm."

Shego's eyes narrowed. "What?" she repeated, studying Drakken's anxious face.

The blue man bit his lip nervously. "Carmella is sitting at a table behind us."

Shego's eyes widened and she couldn't help herself but to turn around. Sure enough, Carmella Sweets, the villainess whose gimmick was candy-themed plots that frequently involved the manipulation of others against their will, was sitting two tables away. She was eating alone, wasn't facing them, and appeared to be nearly done with her meal. Shego faced forward again and realized her face was already growing hot. She'd already had more than enough troubles with the former-flame of Drakken's, and the candy villain was quite possibly the last person she wanted to see on their romantic getaway.

"Shego..." Drakken said, looking at her anxiously. "We can leave and eat somewhere else?"

She met his worried eyes and tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"It's okay. It looks like she's about to leave..." Shego answered, shifting in her seat and trying to get rid of the tingling feeling in her nerves.

Drakken still looked concerned, and he reached across the table for one of her hands. Shego hadn't realized her arms were crossed and her shoulders tense, but she forced herself to untense enough to place one of her hands atop his.

The peace was short-lived, as suddenly a too-sweet scent and a vision of pink appeared in her peripheral vision. Shego tensed again and withdrew her hand.

"Hello Shego. Drakken. Fancy seeing you here, of all places!"

Shego forced a grin and looked up at the petite blonde, dressed in a bubblegum pink dress.

"Hello Carmella," Drakken greeted cordially.

"Finally coming out of hiding? Setting up a lair in the Old World?"

Shego noticed Drakken finally tense at the mention of a lair, and 'coming out of hiding' as their sometimes-foe put it. It was true, they had only recently started showing their faces more in public. But it wasn't for any other reason than...they were moving on with their lives.

"We're on vacation," Shego interjected protectively.

"Oh. From what?"

Shego eyed Carmella's sweet smile and the way she folded her hands demurely in front of her. The candy villain didn't fool Shego for a second.

"Just vacation."

"It's our first vacation together," Drakken blurted out.

Shego's brow rose, and then she noted the candy villain's slowly do the same.

"Oh."

The single word fell from the blonde woman's lips with a sugar so sweet it was sickening. Shego felt goosebumps cover her skin, and she knew it wasn't from the breeze.

"Well, I won't keep you then," Carmella said in the same sickly-sweet voice. She leaned slightly toward Shego to peer at the menu in front of her, and then one of her manicured fingernails tapped a dessert on the laminated paper. "I recommend the _croqembouche_ if you're having dessert later."

"Eheh, thanks," Drakken said.

"Have fun, you two!" Carmella practically sang as she abruptly turned back to her table. Shego watched the pink-clad woman fumble in her purse for a moment to settle her bill, and then she looked back to Drakken.

"We're not having that," Shego said quickly.

Drakken looked confused. "Oh...why...?"

"She'll probably find some way to poison it, or...or something!" Shego hissed.

Drakken's brow knitted in worry and he frowned down at his menu.

"You really think she—"

"Drakken."

The blue man cringed slightly. He took a deep breath and released it in a slow sigh. "So...lunch. Artisan pizza?"

"What does 'artisan' even mean..."

* * *

Shego shifted her hand in Drakken's for the third time as they walked leisurely down the sidewalk toward their hotel. Carmella had left shortly after the brief encounter, their meal had been delicious, and they had skipped dessert out of an abundance of caution. They had decided if they really wanted some, they'd pay the exorbitant price for hotel room service.

 _"I know where to get better dessert,"_ Drakken had said after Shego's advice, looking playful and almost too thoughtful. When Shego had asked where, he had looked at her with unabashed lust that had sent blood racing to her cheeks and an ache to her loins. That had led to their slow walk down the beautiful streets of Marbella, simply enjoying being together and each privately musing about what adventures their evening might hold.

But, Shego had just become aware as she shifted her hand in Drakken's a fourth time of a strange itching feeling on her palm. She tried to pull her hand from his in a way that seemed natural and then rubbed her hand against her pant leg. Unfortunately, that made the sensation more prominent. And she noticed her leg itching beneath her jeans where she'd rubbed her hand. She idly scratched the spot and noticed both it and her hand instantly felt worse.

She looked over at Drakken and then her brow furrowed. He was also scratching a spot on his leg and pausing to flex his hand repeatedly. As she watched him, a nagging feeling began growing in the back of her mind, made stronger as she suddenly felt a slight discomfort from merely the feel of her clothing against her skin.

She took a long breath and determined to ignore it. But her hand was now sweating and while she still wanted to hold Drakken's...the idea of touching anything was suddenly nerve-racking. And the look on Drakken's face suggested he felt the same. Instead, she looped her arm through his and stepped closer to him. His face cleared—mostly—and he smiled at her warmly.

Shego wanted to ask if he was itching and if his skin was slightly burning too...but she didn't want to worry him. She was probably just imagining something that wasn't there due to the unexpected appearance of Drakken's former love interest. She forced herself to put it out of her mind and instead think about all of the things she hoped to try with her lover in bed for the duration of their trip.

* * *

It wasn't her imagination.

By the time they reached the hotel, Shego could feel an itching and burning over her entire body. The conversation on the way back to the hotel had been dry and sparse, but she was barely aware of it as she had a dire urge to get in the shower and wash away whatever feeling had overtaken her. And then...hopefully...they could carry on from the look Drakken had given her back at the cafe.

As soon as their door was locked she turned and met Drakken's eyes. He was looking at her just as urgently. They spoke at the same time.

"I'm going to take a shower."

Their brows rose...and then Drakken looked hesitant.

"Do you...feel itchy?" he asked warily. "And...a slight burning all over?"

Shego grit her teeth. "Yes."

Drakken glanced away, scratching at his arm with a grimace.

"Carmella," Shego growled.

Drakken looked back, his frown deepening. "But...how?"

"Ugh, who cares!" Shego said, throwing her hands up as she moved around Drakken and toward the bathroom. She paused at the door and glanced back at him. "So, shower?"

Drakken blinked in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened and his cheeks colored. "Oh!... Yes," he acknowledged, hurrying after her.

The tiny resurgence of excitement Shego felt vanished as their clothes began to come off and the clear beginnings of a skin rash were evident on both of them in blotches, showing more pink on Drakken's skin and more brown on Shego's. She scowled at the mottling as she turned and studied the spread in the mirror, the marring evident from head to toe; Shego could even see some at her hairline when she leaned forward into the mirror.

"Do you think it's going to have any sort of mind-control or consciousness-altering—"

Shego stopped short as she saw Drakken in the mirror, frozen in the process of undressing. He was ogling her, almost dumbstruck. Shego set her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Yeah get a good look. Who knows what else is gonna happen, with whatever she did to us."

Drakken blushed and jumped slightly. Shego only rolled her eyes and started the shower. She realized though, as she waited for the water to heat, that she and Drakken had never showered together before. They were certainly comfortable being intimate at that point...she thought?

She looked back and blushed as she saw Drakken step out of his pants. When he looked up and made eye contact she realized he'd been contemplating the shower situation before it had even occurred to her.

"Is...this okay?" she asked, gesturing between them.

His blush deepened, but he nodded as he swallowed nervously.

Shego grinned.

* * *

Steam rising around them, bodies glistening with moisture, pressed tightly together and fingers entwined in hair as lips fiercely attacked one another's was how Drakken and Shego stepped out of the shower. But without the relief of the water streaming down on them, it was only seconds before the spreading rash forced them apart.

It had spread rapidly. Almost none of their natural blue and green skin tones remained as the blotches had progressed and swelling had begun, making them both appear slightly bloated all over. Attempting to dry off only brought pain and itching, and so with grumbling they returned dripping wet to the bedroom and lay atop the sheets, separated and scowling.

Shego was angrily trying to block out everything and just fall asleep, when a knock at the door startled them both. They scrambled off the bed and hurried into bathrobes, their skin protesting the contact of even the soft and plush cloth.

After receiving a glare from Shego, Drakken hurried to the door and opened it just a crack, trying to hide his wince from pain.

"Yes?" he asked tensely.

"Room service!" said the attendant cheerily through the door.

Drakken's brow furrowed as he looked back at Shego, while hers rose. They definitely hadn't ordered anything.

The door opened then, and the attendant pushed in a small cart with a single small tray and a medium-sized plate. On the plate was the _croqembouche_ they had seen in the restaurant menu, except in between the profiteroles were colorful round puffs of cotton candy.

Shego stared at it with narrowed eyes. "Sweets."

"There's a card," the attendant said, gesturing to the small white envelope next to the tray. His eyes slowly grew wide as he took in the appearance of the ailing pair of hotel guests.

Shego frowned as she approached the tray, every step painful from head to toe. Drakken was fumbling in his discarded pants from earlier for his wallet, but before he could find it the attendant was backing toward the door.

"Um. We have a doctor on staff at the resort..." the young man stuttered.

"We're fine," Shego said in a hurry as she tore into the envelope.

"...We'll call down if we need anything," Drakken finished, offering a bill to the attendant. The young man took it uneasily and then left in a hurry.

"'My Dear Drakken and Shego,'" Shego began reading the note aloud, "'please forgive my adding a 'rosemary rash' supplement to your pizza. It seemed a fitting response to the way you two soured my reputation in the community. You'll be fine in a day or two. Accept this delectable dessert as an apology. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!'"

Shego crumpled the note in her fist, envelope and all, as she bared her teeth.

"If she thinks her reputation was soured already, she— Drakken!"

She reached forward painfully as Drakken shoved a puff of cotton candy from the small and colorful tower into his mouth. Before he had a chance to question her concern or she could explain, his eyes widened and his hands went to his throat.

"Spit it out! She probably poisoned that too!"

Drakken ran to the wastebasket and spat out the dessert, but the effect had been instant. His eyes were watering and his hands clawed at his throat.

"Can you breathe?" Shego asked in a panic as she rushed to his side.

Drakken nodded, but his hands remained at his throat and his eyes were still wide. Shego's eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong? What'd she do?"

Drakken grimaced, and then opened his mouth. Shego gasped. His tongue had turned purple and was swollen to at least twice the size. Knowing that the unique muscle went back much farther than was visible, Shego understand Drakken's fear and the clutching of his throat.

"Okay... Just...drink some water," Shego said, turning and stalking back into the bathroom where she filled a plastic cup from the tap. She put it in Drakken's hands and he drank nervously, some of the water slipping from the corners of his mouth. "Any better?" she asked.

Drakken nodded worriedly.

Shego's brow twisted in fear, despite herself. If the contaminated food had affected him that quickly... She remembered the crumpled note in her fist and unfolded it, scanning it for clues. Finding none, she flipped the paper and sure enough, there was a post-script on the back.

_"Should also say sorry for my cotton-mouth candy. But the profiteroles really are to die for!"_

Shego felt fear race across her already-burning skin as she crumpled the paper and ignited her glow, burning it to a crisp. She let the ash fall from her hand to the floor, her hand itching worse from the use of her powers.

"If it gets worse we'll have to find a hospital. Ugh..." Shego groaned, lightly tugging on Drakken's wrist as she turned back toward the bed. She tossed her robe to the floor as she lay back down on the cool sheets and tried to forget the burning and itching that covered her entire body. Drakken likewise took off his robe and resumed his position, his eyes now fraught with concern.

Shego stared at him worriedly. His expression was a whirlpool of emotions, passing from fear to anger and everything in between as he stared blankly ahead at nothing. Shego moved her hand so her fingertips just brushed his. He met her eyes.

"Start plotting revenge once this starts to clear up?"

Drakken took a breath as his eyes darkened. "I'b loddig leveg dow."

Shego grimaced as she took a moment to translate his speech, heavily marred by his swollen tongue.

"Yeah...maybe don't talk again until that calms down."

Shego thought Drakken might have blushed in response, but from the pink blotches and more-prominent swelling of his face she couldn't be sure.

"You don't usually have food allergies do you?"

Drakken shook his head.

"Good... That probably means this will get better faster..."

Drakken looked away as worry again became the dominant emotion in his eyes. Shego brushed her fingers against his and then boldly grabbed his hand, despite the increased burning and itching the contact caused. Drakken looked at her curiously. She brought his fingers to her lips for a momentary kiss, and then she shifted across the space between them to place another on his lips.

"New plan... We get better, enjoy our vacation...and then plot revenge."

Drakken smiled and kissed her hand.

The sun's rays from the window illuminated their hotel room with a sparkling and almost exotic light, but it couldn't match the brightness in their eyes as they stared at each other. It was an intimacy Shego rarely if ever indulged in, and Drakken too for his shyness. But there was something special about it, Shego knew. And she let her anger fall temporarily dormant as she settled her mind to potential hours of staring into her lover's eyes.

Dessert, indeed.


	4. Ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Is it real? Or is it a prank? Partially inspired by Ch. 37 of "The Company You Keep" by [split-n-splice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/split_n_splice/pseuds/split_n_splice).
> 
> 4\. Ghost

Drakken stepped to the side to give his daughter more room as she leaned up over the counter and placed the fat marshmallows atop the freshly baked brownies. The four-year-old was careful and precise, being sure each one was balanced before moving on to the next. Drakken beamed with pride.

"Now can I put the eyes on?" Abby asked.

"First I have to pour on the white chocolate," Drakken replied. He turned around to pick up the bowl...and it wasn't there. He had set the bowl down only seconds ago...

Peering around, he spotted the bowl at the far end of the counter next to the stove. He frowned. He was sure he hadn't placed it there.

"Abby...did you move the white chocolate bowl?"

Abby looked up from where she was adjusting a marshmallow.  
"No."

Drakken's brow furrowed as he picked up the bowl. That was the fifth time that day... And he had lost count of how many times it had happened during the day. Every time he was cooking, things were out of place. Milk being left out on the counter when he remembered putting it away; a spoon he had been stirring with dropped into the sink halfway through the meal preparation. At first he'd thought it was absentmindedness. But too many things didn't make sense.

As he poured the white chocolate over each marshmallow to effect a ghost-like appearance to the dessert, he contemplated some of the other incidents. Oven mitts on the table, instead of hanging on their hook where they had been moments before; measuring spoons tossed across the top of the fridge when they had been in a drawer seconds earlier. Drakken had wondered if Abby was playing and somehow he was missing her moving objects, as she often 'helped' him cook. But she couldn't have put the measuring spoons atop the fridge... Not to mention, if she'd tossed them he would have heard it.

He looked down at his daughter. Abby had been the only one with him each time... But...it couldn't be her.

"Now the eyes?" she asked, bouncing on her toes as she looked up at him.

"Hold still!" he warned gently, not wanting her to fall from the step-stool and setting a hand on her back. "Yes, here's the—"

The dark chocolate was gone. It had been on the counter behind him seconds ago, when he'd been looking for the white chocolate. Abby turned with him and small wrinkles appeared on her brow.

"Where's the dark chocolate, Daddy?"

Drakken looked around. Finally he spotted it on the kitchen table. He began to feel uneasy.

"What's wrong Daddy?"

Drakken looked down to see Abby staring up at him in concern. She set her small palm on his leg as she watched him uncertainly. Drakken schooled his features into a smile.

"Nothing, Sweetie. Did you move the dark chocolate to the table?"

Abby stepped around the counter to see the table, as she was still too short to see over the counter.

"No," she answered simply.

Drakken crossed to the table and picked up the bowl, looking around in concern.

"Someone has been moving things while we're cooking..." he muttered.

"Maybe it's ghosts!" Abby cried with a gleeful smile, back on the step-stool and pointing at the white-chocolate covered marshmallows atop the brownies.

Drakken frowned at this thought as he showed Abby how to use the end of a chopstick to put three dots on their confection to make a face. Could it really be...ghosts? He had certainly faced unnatural things in his life before...

He watched as his daughter carefully and meticulously put dark chocolate dots into the white to create the ghostly faces. His mind began racing. If...there was a ghost, why would it be moving things around in the kitchen?

Drakken reached absently for the white chocolate bowl to wrap it and put it in the fridge, but his hand grasped only air. His head snapped over to where he had set the bowl, and it was gone.

A chill raced across his skin as he stepped right behind Abby and set his hands on the counter on either side of her, effectively caging her in as his head whipped around anxiously. The white chocolate bowl was...gone. It wasn't anywhere to be seen. And it had vanished in mere seconds.

He continued looking around the kitchen, barely aware of his daughter's chatter about wanting to eat the 'ghost' brownies right away and asking if her baby brother could have one, and wondering if he thought Grandma would like them. When the last dark eye and round gaping chocolate mouth had been dotted on, Drakken scooped Abby up into his arms before she'd barely dropped the chopstick.

"Daddy? What about the ghost brownies?"

"We need to find Mommy and Drew," he said tensely, looking over his shoulder anxiously as they left the kitchen.

"Why?"

Drakken didn't answer, unsure of what he should say. The idea of an otherworldly entity invading their home and potentially endangering his family was terrifying. All of his memories of aliens, vicious mermaids, and other supernatural horrors began creeping into his mind.

"Because...we're...going to go visit Grandma and need to decide what time to leave."

"I thought Grandma was coming over?" Abby asked.

"Change of plans..." he muttered as he walked into the bedroom and saw Shego in the easy chair, nursing their six-month-old son. She didn't look up at his entrance, instead focused on the baby in her arms. "We're going to my mother's instead. What time would you like to leave?"

Drakken set Abby down next to Shego and headed for the phone. He peripherally saw Shego glance up with a furrowed brow as he began to dial.

"Why?"

Drakken met her eyes worriedly and glanced at Abby meaningfully, who had reached up with a smile to hold her baby brother's hand. Shego frowned.

"AJ," she began, "could you bring me your brother's pacifier? It's in his room."

"Okay Mommy."

Drakken bit his lip as he watched Abby leave. He was anxious about her being away from them, but...he didn't want her to hear that their home may be haunted. As soon as she was out of the room he dropped the phone on the bed, the number only half-dialed as he hurried back to Shego's side.

"The kitchen is haunted!"

Shego's confusion faded to mild annoyance.

"Why?"

"Because..." he said, lowering his voice as he knelt next to her, gritting his teeth and looking around anxiously. His fingers tightly clutched the arm of her easy chair. "Things keep moving around and disappearing while I'm cooking!"

Shego considered him for a moment before lightly rolling her eyes and sighing in resignation.

"How are things disappearing?"

"I don't know! I set a mixing bowl down, and then...when I reach for it it's gone!"

Shego gently pulled the now-sleeping baby away from her breast and fixed her shirt. "Are you sure you didn't just forget where you put it?"

"No! This has been happening all day, and...it happened seven time just now while Abby and I were making the brownies!" he hissed.

Shego's skepticism started to fade. "All right, just...show me what you mean."

The next minute found them in the kitchen with Drakken relaying every incident he could recall. Shego's face grew less bored and more concerned each time. Drakken had just finished telling her about the disappearing bowl of white chocolate—which was still missing—when Abby re-entered the room.

"Thank you darling," Shego said as she took the pacifier from her daughter, presently unneeded as the baby slept in her arms.

"When are we going to Grandma's house?"

Shego and Drakken exchanged a look.

"Why don't you call her," Shego suggested to Drakken, "and Abby and I can get the brownies packed up."

Drakken nodded, appearing only slightly relieved with Shego's belief in the incidents that he'd experienced, and left the room to make the phone call. Shego stood back from the kitchen and shifted Drew to be in one arm, leaving the other ready for anything that may be needed, including a fight.

"AJ, do you remember the Tupperware we used for the deviled eggs on our last picnic?"

"Yes Mommy."

"Can you put the brownies in there?"

"Ghosts! They're ghost brownies!"

Shego gave her daughter a half-grin as her eyes darted back and forth across the kitchen. The incidents Drakken had mentioned were suspicious, and definitely not due to any of his usual absentmindedness. She was skeptical of the idea of a ghost, but...stranger things had certainly happened to them.

She watched Abby pick up each brownie and set it inside the Tupperware, one tipping over in the process. She really should be at her daughter's side, making sure her position on the step-stool was safe. But she couldn't shake the sudden unnerving feeling that they weren't alone.

"All right," Drakken said, his voice startling Shego as he re-entered the room from behind her. "Mother said we can come at any time."

"Okay. I'll just pack the diaper bag," Shego said, glancing at Drakken as he set a hand on her shoulder before furrowing his brow at Abby.

Shego watched as he moved up to her side to help her finish packing the playful treats. And then...

Drakken and Shego gasped in unison as the lid to the Tupperware container fell to the floor, untouched by any of them. Drakken picked up Abby again and rushed back to Shego's side.

"What's wrong Daddy?"

Drakken merely held Abby tight while Shego's eyes narrowed. She wasn't ready to ignite her glow just yet...

Just then one of the ghost brownies started wobbling inside the Tupperware. Abby gasped in a mixture of surprise and delight.

"Ghosts!" she cried, an incredulous smile on her young face.

Shego passed Drew to Drakken, who backed away as Shego lit both of her hands and stepped forward with a snarl.

"If anyone's here, show yourself!"

Abby's smile faded and she pushed herself against Drakken's chest as his eyes darted back and forth over the kitchen. Just then, the silverware in the dish strainer clattered.

All three Lipskys gasped.

Shego let her glow go out and backed up until she was at Drakken's side again. She swallowed nervously.

"Let's...let's go," she said quietly.

"Is it a ghost, Mommy?"

Just then a cackle sounded out of the ether, soft, and growing louder. Shego lit her hands again and took a fighting stance as Drakken backed away with the children. But something about the cackle...was familiar.

And suddenly, a flash of purple right in front of Shego caused her to stumble back. She held her fire...but then her jaw dropped and she wished she hadn't as the reason for their ghost problem was suddenly explained.

"Uncle Brody!"

"Mego!" Drakken and Shego cried in unison.

Drakken let a wriggling Abby out of his arms as she went to embrace her uncle around the knees.

"Okay, what...just _what_ is the big idea?" Shego asked through clenched teeth as she let her hands go out.

"You didn't send me any baby pictures... _and_ you didn't send me a birthday card," the lanky man said with a smirk as he ruffled his niece's hair. "That hurts, Sis'."

"Oh sure, 'cause it's all about you," Shego retorted, crossing her arms.

The purple man was unperturbed. "Hey, every now and then I do like seeing my family."

Abby beamed up at her uncle. "Uncle Brody did you see the ghosts me and Daddy made?"

"Yeah, they look really scary! Just like real ghosts!" Mego said, casting a knowing glance up toward his sister and brother-in-law.

Shego's frown only deepened. Drakken's brow furrowed in annoyance as he stepped back to her side.

"Do you want to come to Grandma's house with us?" Abby asked with a smile.

"Sure!" Mego said, his grin broadening.

"I think...we'll just have Grandma come over here after all," Drakken said, a wary look in his eyes. It was too late to change plans anyway.

"Sounds great," Mego said, setting his hands on his hips and grinning confidently.

Shego's eye twitched, and she glanced at Drakken who was looking decidedly anxious.

"Uncle Brody come look at the ghosts!"

Mego turned with his niece to look at the sugary treats, and Drakken leaned over to whisper to Shego.

"What should we do? Glow suppressant? Sleeping potion?"

Shego pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "No, just...let's make sure to send him all the same pictures stuff we send to your mother from now on."

Elsewhere in the house they heard the sound of a door opening, followed by a loud voice calling out.

"Where are my grand-babies?!"

"Grandma!" Abby cried, and raced from the room.

"Wait for me, AJ! I want to say hi to 'Grandma,'" said Mego, smirking at the other adults as he strode away after the toddler.

Shego and Drakken stared at each other.

"Sleeping potion," they said in unison.


	5. Shoes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This took on a life of its own... It took way too long to write, but I like the result.
> 
> 5\. Shoes

Drakken set one elbow in his hand and then leaned his chin on his other hand, sighing as he waited for Shego to return. He couldn't remember ever being so bored in his life. Even observing their surroundings had lost its appeal, and he felt like his brain cells were slowly shutting down as he stared off into space in the crowded shopping mall.

Shoes. Shego had taken him with her to buy shoes.

All around him, the footwear that he at first had noted with surprise for the variety now all looked exactly the same to him as he waited nearly an hour into the trip to buy a single pair of shoes. Or boots, rather, as that was all Shego had tried on thus far.

The worst part of it was, the trip was his fault. He had been invited to 'some fancy formal genius event' as Shego had put it, and for some reason the many pairs of boots and shoes that had recently come to reside in his closet weren't options for the event. Neither had been any of the gowns she owned, but she had made the trip to buy a new one with Junior a few days prior.

Drakken switched his arms around and rested his chin in his other hand. He'd just _had_ to open his big mouth and say he'd missed her when she'd spent hours shopping. And if she could shop with Junior, then why not him? Now...he understood.

Shego had followed a salesman away as he got her selections in her sizes to help him carry them back as she had chosen so many. And this was her second batch. He had struggled to pay attention to the first round, failing to understand Shego's difficulty. All of her choices looked just like the boots she had back at the lair. And there was so little variation between her choices it was even more confusing to him. He had eventually stopped attempting to comment, since he had no idea what to say other than 'they're nice.' Instead he took to wondering about how many people he might know at the upcoming international gathering of geniuses.

As he sat on the uncomfortable bench awaiting Shego's return, he wondered if his inattention was another reason she had never previously taken him shopping. Perhaps he was expected to give educated comments about her boot selections... Unless it turned out to be a trick? And his comments would only earn him her anger?

Shego suddenly reappeared and Drakken sat up straighter, noting her bored expression with confusion. If she was spending so much time choosing one pair of boots...why did she look like she wasn't enjoying it?

The salesman and Shego set the stacks of boxes on the floor, and she sat down silently next to Drakken and acknowledged the salesman with a tired smile as he repeated his offer to help if she needed anything. Drakken watched as she opened the first box and began unpacking the boots from the paper, slipping her own off her feet as she did so.

"Shego?"

She lifted her brow and turned her head slightly but didn't make eye contact.

"Ah...are you have trouble deciding?"

She paused and looked up at him, her expression unreadable. It made Drakken uneasy.

Her brows knitted as her expression finally shifted into familiar annoyance.

"Oh, _now_ you're interested?"

Drakken watched her begin to put on yet another pair of black boots. His mind was a jumble of emotions as he tried to figure out how exactly he was supposed to display interest. He finally settled on honesty.

"Shego...these all look the same to me."

Shego scowled. "They're nothing alike!"

Drakken pouted silently and set his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to put his hands on his chin.

"Tall boots, short boots. Boots with one zipper or two zippers or buckles... Gold buckles or silver buckles... They're just black boots."

Shego halted in trying on the boots, and Drakken could feel her staring at him. He rolled his eyes slightly as he waited for the next jab.

"You _were_ paying attention?" she finally asked.

Drakken's brow rose in surprise as he sat up again and looked at her. He wasn't entirely sure what to say. He had indeed been watching. But the boots really did all look the same to him. He had seen Shego wear a variety of black boots for years and they held no appeal for him.

"Why do you only wear boots?" was what he finally blurted out.

Shego's gaze dropped to the thigh-high black leather boot she was zipping up. Drakken could hardly be bothered to look at it anymore, having seen more black boots than he ever cared to in his life. He was much more interested in the green skin of Shego's thigh, made more visible due to her short skirt hiking up as she sat on the bench.

"Boots are classic. They're powerful," Shego had said in argument, and it suddenly clicked as he stared at her creamy skin that he needed to respond.

"Why don't you ever wear shoes like other women, like..." he glanced around and then grabbed a shoe from a display within arm's length, "like this?"

He presented the shoe to Shego and her lip curled as she looked at it.

Drakken expected her to say something snide in argument, but after a moment she snatched the shoe out of his hand.

"Fine," she said, kicking out of the unzipped boot and putting her own boots back on before stalking away.

Drakken wondered what had motivated her change of mind and worried he'd gone too far. He still wasn't sure what he should and shouldn't say in their relationship, or even what to call what they were. 'Girlfriend' sounded strange on his tongue, and other things were either clearly wrong or even inappropriate.

Having Shego move into his room at the beginning of that week had been a big change, and had mostly left him more confused about what they were. There was an added domesticity that had previously been absent in their relationship, and he wasn't quite sure what their boundaries were anymore.

Shego returned without the salesman, carrying a single box and frowning. Drakken didn't say anything as she sat down and pulled the lid off of the box with more force than she had any of the others. Her silence made him nervous, and he wondered if suggesting the different shoe style had been a mistake. It was true, most of the shoes she owned were boots. And he couldn't remember ever seeing her wear anything like what he had grabbed off the display.

"Fine. Not boots," Shego said tersely, having put his selection on her feet. She kicked aside the paper that had been in the box and stood up, walking a few feet toward the mirror where she could view the shoes.

Drakken's eyes widened at the sight of the shoes on her feet, barely shoes in his opinion for the straps. Sandals, was how he would describe them but for their glamorous appearance. He focused on one of her feet as she posed in front of the mirror. The shiny black leather shoe was open at the toe and had a horizontal strap over the top of Shego's foot, about an inch wide. Her manicured green toenails were visible and the black made them stand out even more. Over the top of her foot, two thin black straps crossed and disappeared around her ankle. When she turned he saw that they connected to the back of the shoe, which rose just enough to cover her heel.

Drakken watched her turn and pose her feet in front of the small mirror at the floor, but he couldn't help himself but to follow the length of her legs up to where they vanished beneath her short green skirt. He swallowed as a lump formed in his throat and wished his blood would rush anywhere besides the spot he found he suddenly needed to conceal with his hands over his lap.

"What do you think?" Shego said, turning around with a disappointed sigh. Her eyes widened upon seeing Drakken's face, and he wondered just what he looked like. But then her expression fell to confusion and slight upset. "Hey, I know they don't look good, but you could at least pretend."

Drakken's bubble of arousal burst as he looked at her hurt expression in confusion. He looked at the shoes again. They were stunning, and somehow made her legs look even more attractive than they already were.

"What? But...Shego—"

"I'll just wear the boots I wore to the last thing," she said with a slight growl as she moved to sit down again.

Drakken stood up in front of her suddenly. She frowned and looked up at him.

"Shego, I don't... Why...? The shoes look nice," he fumbled out in a rush.

She crossed her arms. "Sure, on a mannequin. Let's just go..." She moved around him and sat down to remove the shoes.

Drakken blinked at her in astonishment. As he watched her slip the shoes off her feet he felt the rush of blood again and his eyes traveled up her legs. At the same time, he was processing her words and trying to understand why she didn't think the shoes looked good. They were even more appealing on her than any of the boots she owned. So, why?

No sooner had she closed the shoe box than the salesman was suddenly behind Drakken, startling them both.

"How are you finding everything?" the man asked with his open smile.

"We're buying these," Drakken said impulsively, scooping up the shoe box at the same time he pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

"What?" Shego said abruptly.

"Where do we check out?" Drakken asked, ignoring her.

The salesman looked confused, but Drakken put on his best smile and the man gestured away toward a cashier's stand. A moment later Drakken felt Shego at his shoulder, and when he glanced down her face was a mixture of annoyance and confusion. She looked about ready to speak up and stop the salesman, and Drakken quickly set his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.

"Those shoes look beautiful on you," he whispered. He slid his hand low on her hip. "Very beautiful."

Shego's brow rose and her cheeks colored. Drakken was relieved to see some of the upset in her eyes fade into confusion, and he resolved that he needed to find out why she thought the shoes didn't look good. Whatever reason it was, he wondered if it had something to do with why most of her shoes were boots.

Shego let him pay for the shoes and politely told the disappointed salesman that that would be their only purchase. They left the department store and headed back to the hover car, Drakken carrying the shoe box and watching Shego. She had her arms crossed and her brows were knitted in worry.

No sooner had Drakken set the shoe box in the back seat, than Shego had set her hand on his arm to stop him from climbing in.

"You know, I'll just return that dress. I can wear something I already have. Let's take the shoes back."

"Shego," Drakken said with concern, "the shoes look...ah, they look..."

He set his hands on her waist and slid them behind her back, one hand moving up beneath her hair and the other down farther than was decent. He pulled her into a hug to speak more softly.

"They made me want to...go back to the lair, and get into bed..." He felt his face flush at the words, and from the way Shego tensed under his hand lightly gripping her rear, he knew she was surprised. She leaned back and looked up at him.

"You...really? Why?"

Drakken thought a moment. Why indeed? "Because...the shoes show off how attractive you are..." he said, recalling how they looked on her dainty feet. His brow furrowed. "You don't usually wear skirts so short."

"It's comfortable," Shego explained in a breath before continuing. "What do you mean the shoes show off how attractive I am?"

Drakken looked down at the boots Shego wore and stepped back to get a better look at her legs. The boots she'd worn out only went to just below her knees, so he could see her legs better. But the boots didn't have nearly the same effect that the small sandal-like high heels had had.

"The shoes showed off your legs. Why do you only wear boots?"

Shego looked uncomfortable again. She hesitated a long time before speaking, and Drakken suddenly wondered if his impulsive act of buying the shoes was too much too soon; if their relationship wasn't at that place yet, where he could assert any authority. He wondered if he should apologize...

"I don't have good legs," Shego finally said. "Don't get me wrong, I'm...really glad you like them," she continued with a blush. "But they're not good so I'd rather just wear boots."

Drakken processed her words, his other worries fading in light of the new one.

"You've been hiding your legs?" he asked, still confused. He voiced his next thought. "What's wrong with them?"

Shego shifted a bit, looking more uncomfortable. Drakken bit the inside of his cheek as he realized the question was a mistake. He wasn't sure she was going to answer, expecting her to put him off with a snappy insult or an avoidance of the subject. But instead she took a deep breath and spoke quickly.

"Ugh, they're shaped weird and I carry too much weight in them," she answered. She shifted her weight back and forth between her feet and then changed how her arms were crossed, rubbing her biceps briefly. "So I don't really like wearing anything that shows them."

Drakken was astonished. "Shego... Your legs are beautiful."

Shego looked down in embarrassment, hugging herself tighter. Drakken looked around briefly and didn't see anyone in the parking lot. He knelt down in front of her and started unzipping her boot.

"Hey!"

"I'll show you," he said. Shego was forced to hold on to the hover car for balance as Drakken pulled her boot off, but she didn't fight him on it. After dropping it on the ground he set one hand on her ankle and placed her sock-clad foot on his knee. He realized then he didn't have any way to prove to her that her legs were attractive, except that he himself loved them.

He held on to her ankle and ran his other hand up the back of her leg, pausing on her calf. He looked up at her.

"Your legs are beautiful," was all he could think to say. He frowned sadly and continued running his hand slowly up and down the back of her leg, up her thigh and to the edge of her skirt. "And those shoes...they made them more beautiful. I don't know how, but they did. And...I love looking at your legs."

Drakken held back a sigh as he realized his words would fail to make Shego feel better. And he couldn't think of anything to help her understand there was nothing wrong with her legs. Not to mention, he had most definitely gone too far in his presumptions... He continued gently feeling her leg and let his troubled look fall into admiration. Since Shego always covered her legs with boots...he would take advantage of any chance he got to see the smooth and shapely forms. Especially if he had just set their relationship back.

Suddenly Shego's hand covered his. He looked up to find her eyes uncertain. He spoke quickly.

"Shego? If...if you really don't like—"

"You..." Shego interrupted quietly, "really think my legs are beautiful?"

"Yes," Drakken said with a firm nod, his eyes pleading as he impulsively embraced her calf. Shego didn't look convinced...but there was a small light in her eyes that hadn't been there before. He was suddenly reminded of how the shoes made her legs look, and the reaction it had given him. "If we go home...I can show you more than I can show you here."

Shego's expression was unreadable. Drakken held his breath, anxious that he'd gone too far again. If Shego wanted to cover her legs up, it really wasn't his business... He just couldn't believe she didn't think she was beautiful. She was perfect. Utterly, completely, impossibly—

"Perfect?" Shego said softly.

Drakken felt his heart leap to his throat. "Did...I say that out loud?"

Shego's gentle smirk was amused as she nodded. She removed her foot from Drakken's knee and he started helping her back into the boot.

"I don't believe you," she continued. "But when we get home I'll let you try to persuade me."

Drakken stood up as Shego reached down to adjust her boot. He wondered again if he should apologize for all of his presumptuous behavior, but then Shego took his hand and her smirk grew more confident.

"Is this persuasion going to take place in bed?" she asked.

Drakken blushed. "Ah, uhm. I mean, yes," he said, recovering himself.

As they got in the hover car, a devious idea occurred to Drakken. And one that just might help his purpose. He waited until Shego was settled in her seat and then leaned over, pushing her hair back gently to whisper in her ear.

"And wear those shoes."

Shego blushed, and smiled.


	6. Stormy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks to some help from [MakeWolfStarGayAgain](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/13624166/MakeWolfStarGayAgain) and [Split-N-Splice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/split_n_splice/pseuds/split_n_splice) for some inspiration! There's also a sly nod to a certain famous real-life mad scientist I'm wondering if anyone will notice... I'm looking at you, [Gothicthundra](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/466264/Gothicthundra)!

Shego lay on the ground on the picnic blanket, her head nestled in the crook of Drakken's shoulder. She was smiling up at the gray storm clouds, Drakken's hands occasionally blocking her view as he gesticulated wildly and talked about his new plan.

"...And after the super-capacitors have captured the lightning, we'll have enough power for the mercury beam! Haha, which country do you think will bid the highest?"

Shego turned to lay on her side, nestling closer as she draped one arm over his chest and one of her legs over both of his.

"Mmh, I don't know..." she said with a contented sigh. "Not many countries can afford your prices, Dr. D."

Shego stared at the green grass beyond the picnic blanket, the color seeming even more vibrant for the darkness of the atmosphere. The moisture in the air was somehow refreshing, and while they had in fact come out to wait under the storm for evil purposes, she was thoroughly enjoying their picnic beneath the menacing clouds. Drakken's lightning-capturing machine was at the top of the hill while they waited a hopefully-safe distance away, and cuddling was even better than the strawberry parfait they had enjoyed for dessert.

Drakken's arms suddenly rested heavily upon her, one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder. She tilted her head up to see his face and saw he was positively beaming with joy and excitement. Shego's expression slowly matched his, and it was only moments before her chest was pressed firmly to his and they were fiercely attacking each other's lips.

They shared a passion she was sure could have escalated to a point that would have been indecent should any watching eyes be nearby, especially considering the way Drakken grabbed her hips and tried to pull them against his. But a sudden heavy moisture on Shego's shoulder brought her attention away from the romantic kiss. Drakken moaned his annoyance as his lips chased hers, but she turned her head upward as another heavy drop of moisture hit her sweater and plastered it to her back. Then another, and another.

Drakken blinked suddenly as a large rain drop hit his eye. He mumbled something incoherent as he scowled and gently pushed Shego off of him. She sat up with a grin, brushing back her hair that was rapidly frizzing as the air grew more humid. Drakken continued to grumble as he got to his knees and looked around for their umbrella. Shego felt warmth grow in her chest as she looked at the mad scientist, his brows knit together in annoyance and his jumbled words unintelligible. She adored him.

Just as Drakken picked up the umbrella, he was forced to drop it as Shego threw her arms around him and kissed him again. He gave one muffled attempt at speech before letting his arms fall around her again. Shego was prepared to force him into deeper passions when an approaching sound interrupted her focus. She turned her head at the sound of the roar, and she saw first a flash as lightning streaked across the sky, and then a gray sheet of approaching rain. The droplets thudded heavily against the grass and soon they were hitting her face, lukewarm and abundant.

She grinned as she turned back to face Drakken. He had sat back on his haunches and was frowning, his hair rapidly getting plastered to his forehead.

"Shego..." he whined.

He was adorable.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him upright and away from their blanket, out over the field on the hill.

"Dance with me!" she laughed as Drakken nearly tripped, his smooth-soled loafers the entirely wrong shoes for a picnic, let alone walking over wet grass.

"What? Shego?"

She pulled him around in a circle, her wet hair swinging heavily behind her as she squinted through the rain. Drakken's confused expression gradually fell away, and when their spinning stopped and she pressed herself against him, he set his other hand on her waist and moved her in rhythm to a silent song.

Their dance didn't last long, as the warmth in Shego's chest grew into a wildfire. She stopped them and set her hands on his chest, sliding them up over his drenched shirt to the sides of his face. She left them there for just a moment as she rose up on her toes to kiss him, but then she looped her arms around his neck, holding her hands away from him as her control slipped away and they ignited with the green flames of her glow. His arms circled her waist and held her tight.

Suddenly, Shego felt her hair stand up on end. She broke out of the kiss a split second before a blinding flash lit up the field, and Drakken turned with her just in time to see lightning strike his machine at the top of the hill. They separated to cover their ears as the thunder boomed deafeningly loud, and Drakken was sent to his knees. When the sound ended Shego set her hand on his shoulder, her entire body tingling and yet somehow numb at the same time.

"Are you all right?" she asked urgently, raising her voice over the sound of the rain.

Drakken slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, blinking nervously. And then his brow shot up beneath the line of his rain-soaked hair.

"The super-capacitor worked! Shego!"

He scrambled to his feet in excitement and began running up the hill, slipping with every few steps and nearly falling. Shego stayed right behind him. When he reached the device he dropped to his knees to begin taking readings. Shego brushed her hair out of her eyes and leaned down to watch him work, not that she understood half of what the device did. Drakken pulled a lever that she knew would disconnect the device and then suddenly spun on his knees to face her, blinking against the rain.

"We captured lightning in a bottle!"

Shego looked at his excited eyes and bright grin, and her smile matched his as the warmth returned to her chest.

_'Yes, we did...'_

"Now I can complete the mercury beam!"

"I love you!" Shego said in a rush.

Drakken's grin faltered, his attention rapidly centering on her to study her. But as he took in her elated smile, his own returned even brighter.

She offered him her hand and he took it, never breaking eye contact as he stood up. He set his hand on her waist again, and she wrapped her free arm around his neck. And Drakken answered her profession of love with a kiss as they danced to the silent song of the storm overhead.


	7. Masks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is a sort-of sequel to my fic [The Cocoro of Rococo](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538734) and inspired by a stunning piece of art by [Gothicthundra.](https://gothicthundra.tumblr.com/post/631036525920059392/clears-throat-happy-halloween-2020-another) You really should read that fic before reading this one.
> 
> I am so sorry for getting off schedule!!! This one got way out of hand, and then I wasn't sleeping because of LOTS of real life issues, and yeah...
> 
> 7\. Mask

Shego descended the stairs to the lab with a grin, eager to drag Drakken away from his projects and begin their evening. But when she caught sight of the blue man at the desk, her smile fell. He was hunched over, raking his hands through his hair, and muttering something. She caught some words she knew and plenty she didn't as she approached him.

"Dr. D.?"

"Yaaaaahhh!"

Shego took a step back as Drakken's papers and a couple of tools scattered as he was startled.

"Shego!" he scolded as he whirled around with a scowl. Shego noted with surprise the exhaustion in his eyes and the abject frustration.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Drakken caught his breath and turned back around. "I can't get this...this...flim-flanger working!"

Shego grimaced at his use of unreal words, but then knelt to pick up some of his fallen papers.

"Maybe you should take a—"

"And why did you sneak up on me!? How many times have I told you not to do that!"

Shego's brow rose in shock at his sudden attack, and then narrowed. She let the papers fall from her hands.

"Fine. Don't take a break," she said as she turned on her heel to leave.

She heard Drakken grumbling as she left the lab, but the irritation she felt at his attitude faded into sadness. He probably didn't even remember what day it was... Considering he'd been down in the lab for the last three.

Their evening plans certainly wouldn't work out, even if she _was_ able to drag him away... But as she strolled idly through the living room, a new idea suddenly struck her.

* * *

Drakken rubbed his neck as he ascended the stairs, finally driven out of the lab by the pains in his stomach. But when he reached the kitchen a low hum in the living room caught his attention. It was vaguely familiar, but definitely not a sound that belonged there. After a moment of thought, he couldn't help himself but to go discover its source.

Upon entering the living room Drakken's brow rose. The trans-dimensional vortex inducer was hooked up to the TV and ready to open a portal at the press of the button. That was the source of the hum. On the sofa, Shego lay asleep.

Drakken rubbed his aching neck again as he stared at the device and wondered why Shego had gotten it out and apparently started it. And if she had planned to use it for some vile purpose, which...they had never actually gotten around to when they stole it, then why had she fallen asleep?

"Shego?" he asked softly, touching her shoulder. "Shego?"

Shego shifted and pinched her eyes shut tighter, but then she lifted a hand to shield them from the light and squinted at Drakken.

"Oh... Finally..." she said through a yawn, "came up for air, huh?"

Drakken's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Assuming it's still Tuesday, you've been in the lab for three days."

"It's not Tues—"

Drakken halted abruptly as he tried to process the time that had passed and realized he couldn't. He watched as Shego sat up and stretched, tossing back her slightly tangled hair.

"Happy anniversary."

Drakken froze. _Tuesday._ Their dinner date. Their anniversary.

"Shego... Shego, I—"

"Since dinner's out I thought we could play with this thing instead," she said, standing up as she continued blinking tiredly.

Drakken looked at the pan-dimensional vortex inducer. He remembered what had happened the last time they had used it, and his face flushed. He looked at Shego's gentle smile.

"You're...you're not upset? That I...forgot?"

"I'll be upset later," Shego said. "There's still a few hours of our anniversary left. I'd rather enjoy them."

Drakken looked down guiltily, but Shego picked up the TV Guide. He stepped closer to her as she began to flip through.

"Might not be anything interesting on since it's a Tuesday night... _'Space Passage_ ,'" she queried.

Drakken bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. He could tell by the look on Shego's face that she agreed. Space was still a touchy subject.

"Oh, here's something... _'The Legend of Black-Eye Brown'_... Wait... 'Black-Eye Brown'?"

"Wasn't that...the...?"

"Dr. D., look! It's a TV movie based on what happened to you!"

Drakken leaned closer and squinted to read the small print. The summary indeed described a man getting possessed by the spirit of the dead pirate and wreaking havoc on a fictional town called Mystic Cove. They hadn't even changed the name of the pirate.

Drakken stood back with a gasp, affronted. "I...I should sue! Shego, we need a lawyer."

Shego closed the TV guide and started flipping channels with the remote.

"Yeah, a lawyer will be _so_ ready to help people who saved the world and then vanished," she said, rolling her eyes as she found the channel with the movie.

"What...you...want to go in that one?"

Shego smirked at him. "I'll let you call me 'wench.' Just—" she held up a threatening hand, "—for the role-play."

Drakken swallowed anxiously and nodded. "O-Okay."

Shego activated the device and in moments Drakken felt the familiar tingling sensation of the inexplicable physics as they began to be transported inside the TV. He suddenly remembered the last times, when he and Shego had ended up separated, and he grabbed her and held her tight. Shego coughed, and Drakken realized he'd startled her. But before he could let go they were transported to the strange other world inside the screen.

* * *

The first sensation Drakken became aware of was the ground moving beneath his feet, and a blue-gray light surrounding him. He realized a moment later that the movement was not the ground exactly, but the ground beneath the ground. He was standing on the deck of a ship, and the motion was the water below, and the blue-gray were the overcast clouds that met the dark sea at the horizon.

The next sensation Drakken felt was pain. A heavy object had been brought down on the back of his head. His arms released Shego involuntarily, and as he fell to the deck, his eyes rolling back, he saw Shego's stunned expression and noted briefly her unique attire before he saw blackness and felt the rough wood of the deck against his cheek.

"Nobody touches the cap'n's daughter!" a gruff voice growled out from above. "To the stocks with 'im!"

Drakken blinked back to dizzyingly painful awareness as he was grabbed under the arms and then dragged, his boots scraping and bouncing painfully against the deck as he was brought to the old and familiar form of punishment. He noted briefly that he was attired differently too, as to be expected, but then his wrists and neck were shoved into the wooden stocks and he was forced to find his feet.

"Hey!" Shego's angered voice sounded, and Drakken tried to blink through the dizziness and pain in his skull to find her. But lifting his head hurt too much, so for the moment he focused on staying on his feet so the could breathe through the restricting press of the wood at his throat.

"Let him go!" Shego continued.

"Quiet, missy! D'you want to bring your father's wrath down on ye as well?"

"My _father?"_ Shego said incredulously.

Drakken finally looked up. He noted Shego's attire of a deep blue-gray skirt and a blouse the color of the clouds that fell low off her shoulders and revealed more of her chest than he'd ever seen from any of her real clothing. There was also a brown corset with shoulder straps, lined in a gold brocade that laced at the center of her chest. The corset only came up to beneath her bust, emphasizing it further. The blouse had the same gold trim at the sleeves, and she wore heavy gold jewelry. The ensemble was completed with a blue bandana that covered the crown of her head and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"Aye, missy." Drakken brought his eyes to the grizzled pirate who was speaking and wiping a bit of blood from the hilt of his sword. _His_ blood, Drakken realized, as he felt moisture trickling down his scalp. "The cap'n has already told ye his feelings against that half-breed. And you allowin' 'im to embrace ye... Why, the cap'n's bound to draw 'n quarter us all!"

"Yeah... And just where is my 'father'? I'd like to have a word with him."

Drakken looked up to see Shego frowning with her hands on her hips. Since their reason for coming wasn't really to get involved with the movie...it made sense to play along to an extent, so they could actually _get_ what they wanted.

"The cap'n is in his cabin," the old pirate said.

"Where— Uh..." Drakken's vision was clearing and he understood that Shego realized she shouldn't ask where the captain's cabin was, if her character was supposedly his daughter. He wondered just who his character was...since this movie was clearly already a huge departure from reality. "That is, uhm. Fine. Leave him alone," she ordered, thrusting a finger at Drakken, "and get back to work."

The gamble played off, and the older pirate and a few gawking onlookers dispersed to resume their duties aboard the ship. Shego watched them leave with a hard look, and then she cautiously approached Drakken. Drakken suddenly became aware of his own attire for the first time. He seemed to be wearing a light green-gray shirt and a dark brown coat, lined in gold like Shego's clothes. He thought he had seen black pants and boots as he was dragged to the stocks, and he was aware of a bandana around his head. The brown and gold hat he had been wearing had fallen to the deck, and its white feather plume was blowing lightly in the sea breeze.

"Okay..." Shego said in a hush when she reached him, and Drakken noted some of the pirates watching her suspiciously. "I'm gonna find this captain and get permission to get you out of here."

"Shego! I'm in a stockade!" Drakken hissed.

"Relax, it won't take long. Then we can...you know..."

Shego broke off into a laugh, and Drakken's face fell to dismay.

"Shego," he whined.

"And we can...search for buried treasure," she finished, laughing louder and drawing the eyes of more pirates.

Drakken scowled and let out a low growl. "If you find role-play so funny, then why—"

"It's fine...it's fine, Dr. D.," Shego said, bending over one end of the stockade as she recovered herself. "I like it too."

Drakken was skeptical as Shego straightened up and smoothed her heavy skirts.

"Well if you can't find this captain, then just let me out of here. My back hurts."

"Fine. I'll be back soon," Shego said.

Suddenly she looked devious, and then glanced around the densely-populated deck. Drakken looked around too. He wasn't sure what Shego was looking for. Shego abruptly dropped to her knees in front of him and gave him a deep, passionate kiss. He returned it in kind until they were both breathless. Shego smirked at him wickedly before retaking her feet.

"Gotta say... I kind of like this forbidden love angle. I wonder if it was in the movie, or if we're adding our own sub-plot."

"Shego!"

* * *

Shego frowned at the creaking of the wooden door as she entered the captain's cabin. At the back of the room, staring out the fogged glass windows to the sea, was a man wearing a familiar purple coat.

"Daughter..."

The deep and menacing voice actually startled Shego, and she found herself taking a defensive stance just inside the door.

"Yes?"

"Yes _what_?" the voice said with a harsh edge.

Shego grit her teeth in annoyance and instinctive defiance. "Yes...Father?"

"What are you still doing toying with that half-breed?"

The large, menacing form turned and Shego's eyes widened at the sight of the hard eyes and the aged, weathered face. She was momentarily confused...because if the movie they were in was based on Drakken's experience, Black-Eye Brown _should_ have been an average person taken over by the spirit of the dead pirate. But, she supposed...perhaps creative license had given the film-makers the idea of the spirit changing the person's physical appearance as well.

"Answer me, child!"

Shego focused back in, realizing she'd not been paying attention, and frowned.

"Hey! Listen here— Ah..." She barely stopped herself from igniting her hands and remembered she had a role to at least fake her way through. "Ah, I mean... What's wrong with him?"

"I will not have a mongrel grandchild!" the pirate said, shaking a finger at her. "I know you have let him into your bedchamber. If you don't cease this dalliance, I'll have him executed."

Despite herself, Shego felt a lump come to her throat. "Executed?"

"I've set a guard on your quarters. He is a sturdy creature. Good in a fight. But control yourself, or my hand will be forced."

Shego tried to hide the anger on her face as she nodded and played the part. "I understand."

"Now daughter. Return to your studies. A young lady must be educated."

The smile that suddenly took over the vicious pirate's face was more frightening than the threat as he glanced at her and then turned back to the window.

"Yes...Father," Shego said, turning quickly to leave with a sick feeling in her stomach. Then, she remembered. "Uh, Father? If he's such a good worker, can you let him out of the stocks?"

* * *

Drakken grew more and more dismayed at Shego's absence. It was far too long for her to be gone to just talk about his release. Every muscle in his body was aching as he tried to stand with his neck and wrists in the stocks. They weren't helped by the fatigue he already felt for having stayed awake in the lab for three days, and then the large bump and bleeding cut on his head. He concluded that the stocks were a very effective means of torture, which he wondered if he could find an excuse to employ...

As he was musing on the subject and trying to ignore the pain, his vision was suddenly cast into shadow by an imposing figure in black boots and a long purple coat. He craned his neck and peered up into an intimidating face of one who could only be Captain Black-Eye Brown. And behind him, and looking surprisingly nervous, was Shego.

"Stay away from my daughter, scum," the large pirate said as he undid the locks. Once free, Drakken stood in surprise and backed away from the menacing man as he continued. "You're only alive because you do an honest day's work. But the next time you're caught within ten feet of her, it's your throat!"

Drakken glanced at Shego, noting again her nervous expression, and then he nodded his assent as he rubbed his throat where it hurt from being in the stocks.

"Now get back to work!"

Drakken wasn't sure where 'work' was, but he could see that this wasn't the time to add more revisions to the movie they were in. He sidled away from the pirate and from Shego and ambled toward the other men on the deck, every limb aching from the horrible postured he'd been forced into. He cast one final glance at Shego, and he gasped as he saw her wrist had been seized by the pirate and she was being pulled away. He considered again adding another new plot element to the film, but as he saw the looks the men around him were giving him, he realized that he and Shego had no allies on the ship. Whatever they ended up doing, it wasn't going to go as they had originally planned.

* * *

Hours under the sun confirmed for Drakken that he had no friends whatsoever on the ship. He'd been pushed and shoved, given the worst tasks, and called a half-breed many times. The heat had led him to discard his jacket and shirt, but he was grateful for the green bandana wrapped around his head which absorbed some of the sweat.

Worst of all, he hadn't seen Shego since the captain had dragged her away. The captain though had come on deck again to announce the plan to conquer Mystic Cove the next day. Drakken knew then that if he and Shego were to accomplish their illicit plans and not get involved in a sea battle, their time was limited. But how to do so when he was trapped in hard labor and he didn't even know where Shego was?

He was contemplating this as he hefted a barrel of gunpowder from the lowest deck up the stairs, having been ordered to prep for the next day's battle. As he reached the second deck he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Drakken."

"Yaaaahh!" He dropped the barrel and it narrowly missed his foot. Shego reached out and saved the barrel from knocking him down the stairs.

"Sheesh, excitable much?" she said, setting the barrel down at the top of the stairs while Drakken looked around anxiously.

"Shego, where have you been?"

"Keep your voice down! _Not_ getting you killed, assuming you still want to go ahead with this?"

Drakken stretched uncomfortably. "Considering the hours of pain I've suffered? This had better be worth—"

He was cut off by Shego's lips on his, and he was pushed back against the old wooden railing, nearly slipping again as his head began to swim. Her hands roamed over his bare chest as his hands found her waist, his fingers digging into her soft flesh beneath the heavy cloth of her blouse.

Just as suddenly as it began, it ended. Drakken was left breathless as she stood back with a smirk, her hands still on his chest. He set his hands over hers and held on tight. Shego's smile faltered as she looked down.

"Your hands are blistered."

"You think? And I have a huge lump on my head from where that pirate hit me."

Shego sighed. She leaned up against him with a softer smirk.

"Our love is forbidden..." she murmured, chuckling slightly.

"So how are we going to...?" He paused as Shego gave him a look, and he cleared his throat. He set one hand back on her waist and boldly slid it up to grope her very-exposed bosom. "There are guards at your chamber... Where shall we meet for our tryst?"

Shego leaned into his touch and kissed his neck. Her hands on his chest slid down to hold his belt.

"Come to the captain's cabin after curfew..." she whispered. I have a plan to take care of him. Now I must go, before we are caught."

Shego backed away. Drakken was dismayed at the sudden absence of her warmth and wandering hands, but he also saw her amusement with the farce as her shoulders shook with laughter over their role-play. He quirked a smile at her departure. It always took her a little while to get into it... But she always came around.

* * *

The moon was a mere crescent that night, and the sea was still. The air was chilled and Drakken, after a sponge bath in the odious bunks with the other sailors, had re-dawned his shirt, coat, and hat. He also wore a sword, in case Shego's idea of dealing with the captain involved a little heroic action. He certainly wasn't opposed to it...

He crept silently along the softly rocking deck, the stars numerous overhead and shining bright despite the orange glow from the lanterns hanging at the railings. The windows to the captain's cabin held the same glow as he quietly approached, his hand on the hilt of the sword that he wasn't entirely sure he could use if called upon in an instant.

When he reached the door he wondered if he should knock, and then decided that would defeat the purpose. He pushed on the latch and peered into the room. The spacious cabin contained a chandelier lit with candles hanging low over a table in the center of the room. The table had recently contained a dinner, judging from the wine glasses and the unfinished cake still in the center. But it also contained charts.

There was a large four-poster bed against the port-side wall canopied with red velvet, and a familiar telltale treasure chest at its foot. There were other furnishings as well, and double doors to the back balcony, but Drakken's eyes were fixed on the purple-clad pirate sitting at the table and on Shego seated in a chair near the pirate's elbow but a few feet behind.

Shego's eyes were already on him, alert and confident. Drakken wasn't sure what her plan was, but he took her look as a sign that he could proceed. He stepped into the room, and Black-Eye Brown immediately looked up.

"Ye scabbrous half-breed...are you so brazen as to come into me own quarters to defile my daughter?"

Black-Eye Brown rose to his feet and drew his sword at the same time Drakken did, with far less grace and speed. But before they had a chance to even come within striking range, Shego's hand was above the pirate's forehead. A glowing green orb left her fingertips and struck the pirate in the head, knocking him out cold.

"Haha..." Drakken laughed in relief as Shego smirked at him, the pirate crumpled in a heap at her feet.

"So..." Shego began with a sigh, but then suddenly an eerie chill struck the room and the candlelight began to flicker, even though the air was still.

Drakken and Shego watched as a swirling black mist rose from the fallen pirate, and their eyes met in brief horror as they remembered the curse. Shego dashed toward Drakken, hands ablaze, while he uncertainly lifted the sword in his hand and pointed it towards the entity materializing in the air above them.

"Does it still work in a movie?" Drakken cried.

"It looks like we're going to find out..." Shego said as the otherworldly being suddenly seemed to focus its attention on them, though Drakken wasn't sure how.

The black mist came toward them, and Shego fired her glow. It went straight through the mist, as if the being wasn't even there. They backed away, Drakken a step farther, and then his jaw dropped in horror as the mist engulfed Shego for a brief moment and then vanished.

"Shego...?"

She turned around to face him with an evil smirk, and his heart raced in fear. It was a stranger in her eyes. But a stranger he knew.

"Well, if it isn't me last host," said Shego's voice with the familiar accent of Black-Eye Brown.

"That— But— How—!?"

Drakken's sputtering was cut off as the possessed Shego lifted her hands thoughtfully and ignited them. Drakken lifted the sword instinctively, but knew it would be useless. Not to mention...he couldn't hurt Shego.

"If I had known what this one was capable of, I would have chosen her to begin with."

The possessed Shego simply ignored his raised sword, walking past him toward the door. Drakken watched in dismay, his mind racing with one futile idea after another. He couldn't attack Shego... He didn't want to hurt her. And he would lose in any fight anyway. He was also anxious about the idea of bringing them out of the movie and back to real life. What if the pirate spirit came with them? Not to mention... Shego had the remote.

She looked over her shoulder at him with a wicked grimace, and he backed away. She laughed a low, evil laugh that sent chills racing over his skin again, and then she left the room.

Drakken released the breath he'd been holding and set the sword on the table as he continued backing up, suddenly aware of how sweaty he'd become in the brief instant of terror. In his distraction he nearly tripped as his boot heel collided with something solid on the ground.

He looked down and saw the man who had previously been possessed. His appearance had softened slightly in his unconsciousness, but Drakken assumed they had chosen an actor to look the part. As he studied the man in purple his eyes drifted to the familiar treasure chest only feet away...and then an idea struck him. He knelt down and seized the man by the shoulders, shaking him violently.

"Wake up! Hey!"

Several violent shakes and a few hard slaps to the face led to the man's eyes opening to tiny slits, but he appeared entirely delirious.

"Get up!" Drakken said loudly as he hauled the man to his feet. "Help me move this!"

As soon as Drakken let go the man collapsed over the treasure chest, but a few more hard slaps got the man to stagger upright by himself, appearing to be drunk and sick all at once.

"Lift this!"

The man almost tripped again, but when Drakken reached down and put the man's hands on the handle, he lifted. Drakken hurried to the other side and did the same.

"This way!"

He awkwardly guided the man, stumbling and slow, out onto the balcony where they left the chest near the railing on the deck.

"Now...wait here."

Drakken raced back through the cabin, hoping his plan would work. He hesitated only a moment before bursting through the door and back out onto the main deck.

The night was as still and quiet as when he had left it, but on the deck stood Shego, hands ablaze as she shot her glow at the railing. _'Target practice,'_ Drakken's mind barely filled in before he gathered his courage up beyond the ill feeling in his stomach.

"Black-Eye!" he shouted.

Shego turned to look at him, and again he saw the foreign spirit in her eyes. He tried to think of something threatening to say, but nothing appropriately piratey came to mind.

"Nngh...I'm throwing your treasure chest overboard!" he burst out anxiously.

He was relieved as he saw the fury rise in Shego's eyes, and she turned her glowing hands on him. He ducked as a blast flew past his head and he nearly lost his balance as he turned on his heel to run back into the room. He could hear a furious snarl behind him and he didn't look back as he ran back onto the balcony where the poor actor had collapsed again.

"Get up you worthless—!" He cut himself off with a grunt as he hauled the actor back to his feet and then slapped him hard in the face. "Pick this up!"

The man mumbled something incoherent and grasped the handle of the treasure chest. Drakken did the same and together they hefted it up to the railing of the balcony. Drakken peered down to the darkness of the sea below and took a deep breath.

"No!" a feral growl sounded from the double-doors, and Drakken looked to see the possessed Shego posturing with an expression of rage. It was like nothing he had ever seen from her and it terrified him.

He shoved the treasure chest over the railing and into the darkness, falling to the deck in the process. He landed hard on his rear as the delirious sailor stumbled against the rail. Another growl left Shego's lips as two green blasts flew from her hands. He lay down on the deck as one blast narrowly missed him. But the other hit the actor square in the chest and with a confused mumble, the man fell over the rail and vanished. Drakken's eyes widened in fear, but as he turned back to Shego he watched in further astonishment as the black mist left her in an ethereal rush. She stumbled as the mist raced away from her and over the railing, down into the sea and back to its seeming vessel.

Drakken breathed a sigh of relief and then scrambled to his feet just as Shego lost hers. He caught her around the waist as she fell, stumbling to find his own footing as he stared worriedly into her fluttering eyes.

"Wha...?" Shego slurred, her eyes slowly coming into focus.

"Shego?" he said anxiously.

Her eyes slowly focused on his. "What happened...?"

"The pirate curse... After you knocked out the sailor...Black-Eye Brown possessed you."

She blinked in disbelief, and he felt her entire being tense in his arms as she seemed to consider the veracity of what he had said.

"How long?"

"J-Just a few minutes... Are you okay?"

Shego found her feet, but Drakken held her tighter and she set her hands on his shoulders.

"Yes... I don't remember anything," she said, looking concerned.

"You were shooting the railing for target practice on the deck. And you knocked the other Black-Eye...the one possessed when we got here...over the edge," he explained, nodding back toward the railing.

Shego's brow furrowed deeply. "How did I get...back to normal?"

"I just...hoped that the spirit would go back to the treasure chest if it was threatened. So I threw it overboard," he said hesitantly. He realized suddenly how risky an idea it had been. He probably should have tried to steal the remote and go back to reality. He let go of her waist with one hand to rub his still-aching neck, and he suddenly felt very tired.

The panic of the atmosphere vanished and Drakken became aware of the calm of the night air, the stars up above, and the warm glow of the candles lighting the lanterns surrounding the deck. He took a deep breath and sighed. His mind refocused and separated the unpredictably of the virtual world that seemed so real from the true reality of Shego in his arms.

Shego's expression began to clear, which brought his focus back to her. She lifted a hand to his cheek and stroked it gently, her other hand sliding down to his chest where her fingers slowly pushed up under the lapel of his coat.

"So...you rescued the girl... Successfully mutinied and slayed the captain... Which makes you captain now," she said, smirking broadly. The look in her eyes grew mischievous, and suddenly Drakken remembered their purpose in coming to the fictional world at all. He cleared his throat to speak, but she continued.

"My hero." She quickly pressed her lips together over the chuckle that tried to escape her throat, and Drakken jumped on the opening.

"A hero...deserves a reward...does he not?"

Shego's smile was bright and excited. She set her other hand on his chest and then began pushing the coat from his shoulders, pressing her fingers firmly against his muscles through the shirt.

"What kind of reward did you have in mind?" she asked in a sultry voice, halting her hands just before his coat fell away.

He slid one hand behind her back while his other moved down to rest indecently low on her hip. When he spoke he lowered his voice to a low growl, and his eyes bored into hers.

"What does a lovely wench like you have to offer?"

Shego's smirk broadened. She pushed one shoulder of his coat away while her other hand reached down and began lifting the hem of her skirt. Drakken reached down with her until he could get his hand beneath the heavy cloth and onto the warm skin of her thigh. Shego's hands flew to the buttons of his shirt and furiously undid them.

"My treasures...are yours to take, Captain Drakken," she said, looking into his eyes.

His fingers slid up her thigh and found the lace of her panty. Shego began pushing his shirt from his shoulder, but suddenly his lips fastened to her throat, the brim of his hat hitting the bridge of her nose and then falling down his back. Her breath caught, and a moment later Drakken felt her fingers slide into his hair behind his neck while her other hand weakly pushed at his shirt.

"I shall treat them with reverence," he murmured against her skin.

He felt her melt into his touch at the same time she sighed in contentment. As he settled into the familiar comfort of her, she lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Happy anniversary," she said.

Drakken smiled.


	8. Foliage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is set in the Universe of [Stone House, Forest of Oak](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24158797). If you haven't read that fic this will be a little hard to understand. But Shego is a dryad and Drakken is a vampire. This one is a little bit spicy. I'm giving it an M-rating for caution.
> 
> 8\. Foliage

Shego danced around the line of ash saplings, marveling at their growth and health. Of course, she didn't need to marvel... With Drakken tending them, they were sure to grow strong and live a full life.

The golden light that had shone at the treetops finally vanished with the setting of the sun, and Shego turned her gaze to the stone house, silhouetted by the orange glow as its occupant waited for the night.

Shego had been dancing for over half an hour, waiting, but she knew his great fear of the sun. Though she loved the caress of its warmth against her leaves, she was learning to enjoy the starlight for him. She skipped away from the ash row through the manzanita grove and toward the house, exulting in the soft, healthy grass beneath her bare feet.

Drakken must have heard her, because the door of the stone house suddenly opened and she could faintly see the familiar silhouette, gray against the black interior. Her feet flew fast over the grass and then down the path lined with evening primrose as a smile bloomed on her face.

She saw his blue hands first as he reached for her through the door, still too frightened to step outside. A moment later she fell into his arms, her feet feeling strange for just a moment against the hard-packed dirt floor of the house before his arms were around her, lifting her and spinning her around as he laughed in delight. And then their lips met.

Shego loved kissing Drakken, the tender touch almost as life-giving as the water that her roots thirsted for daily. As his lips caressed hers she considered also how fertilization was perhaps the most pleasurable experience life had to offer; strange, as it was something she had feared before when she thought she would be doomed to submit herself to a human if she wanted her oak to live on. But with Drakken...

He also didn't call it fertilization, though he fully understood that was the purpose. He called it 'making love,' which she quickly decided was perhaps an even more apt description. For she would love her oaken offspring more than her own life, and she could not make them without him. And Drakken loved her with a kindness and tenderness she hadn't known was possible to feel. He treated her as the most precious tree in the forest, and her love for him grew with each turn of the Earth. It was becoming more difficult to spend a single night away from him.

His lips left hers too soon for her preference as he set her back on her feet and looked at her with his bright, adoring eyes. His smile warmed her to her heart, deep below her bark where the sun couldn't reach.

"I saw you dancing... I couldn't wait any longer," he said shyly, his face coloring purple with his blush.

Shego held his hands and then skipped back toward the door. As she started to pull him out he let go and took a step back to the safety of the shadows, but his smile remained. The night flowers of his garden were beginning to open, and their song delighted her.

"Will you dance with me tonight?" she asked, spinning 'round and 'round and turning her face up with a smile. A few stars had come out and were shining through the rose-colored sky.

"I like watching you dance," he answered, bravely leaning against his door frame. "You're so beautiful..."

She felt a warmth in her chest at his words, the compliments he always showered her with taking a deeper meaning the longer she knew him. He thought her...a simple oak...the most beautiful of all creatures...

"I wish you could hear your flowers sing," she said as she spun again. She darted behind one the pillars of the arbor over the lily pond and listened to the melody and counterpoint. His garden _adored_ him. She only wished he could know.

"Shego?" she heard him ask softly. She smiled mischievously and peered at him from behind the pillar.

"Dance with me! Dance to your song!" she cried as she lithely skipped back to the house, catching his hands and pulling him out into the dusk. In front of the house there was no sunlight, and the fear on his face began to subside as she held him around the waist and began pulling him around in circles over and over again.

In his eyes was a bit of confusion and unease, but his smile outshone them both. She pulled him down abruptly, and he landed in the grass next to her with a grunt. She let go of him to cup her hands beneath a primrose blossom and grinned in his direction.

"They sing for joy when you look upon them each night," she said.

Drakken's eyes widened slightly, and she saw his curiosity grow. In one fluid motion, she spun back to her feet and hopped past him to stand beside his orchids.

"And they sing and marvel at your tender care."

Drakken turned and made to rise, but he paused as Shego skipped back to him, moving past and then dipping her toes into the lily pond.

"The lilies sing for the shelter you have given them...and these," she looked up at the angel's trumpets, "sing a song of protection over your home."

Drakken stood finally, and Shego's feet splashed a few droplets of the cool water onto his trousers as she bounded back to his side. He took her hand eagerly as soon as she was within reach.

"And all together," she said, gesturing around the garden, "they sing of your zeal for all things that grow. They sing the songs of their ancestors' love for you, since you have tended their generations. They sing in awe, and reverence...for they didn't know that one unlike them could love them so much."

Her excitement fell to wonder herself, as he lifted her hand and set his lips over a series of scars in her forearm that had been caused by a woodsman's idle knife-throwing in moments of boredom. There was no one like this vampire anywhere in the world...

"Dance with me," she said again more softly. She lifted her eyes skyward as she pulled him farther from the house. Above the expanse of violet had begun to show more stars, and the song of the night garden grew in intensity.

He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed over the scars across her knuckles. "After my meal..." he said. "They're coming."

Shego turned with an instinctive fear and looked out beyond his garden, but she couldn't see whatever he it was Drakken heard. His lips continuing to worship her skin calmed the sudden racing of her heart, and she turned to him with an excited smile.

"I'll dance for you while you feed," she said decisively.

Drakken grinned, his eyes brightening even more. But then his attention suddenly turned to the thin forest beyond the manzanitas. He looked at the sky for a moment with a hard look, and then he released her hand.

"Be careful," he said. It was a frequent caution whenever the villagers came to sacrifice to him in her presence, and she readily heeded his words. She backed away to the farthest pillar, concealing herself as she boldly left the garden and vanished among the manzanitas.

For minutes, the twilight around her was still, the only sound the adoring song of the flowers. And then from a distance she heard the screams and pleading of a woodsman, sacrificed to Drakken under his new agreement with the town for their own protection.

She remained hidden, recalling one night when some humans had dared approach Drakken's house and had spotted her. Her beloved vampire had made quick work of them, but she hoped to never be seen by the careless and dangerous humans ever again.

The sound of familiar footsteps heralded Drakken's return, and she also heard the telltale dragging of a body. She smirked and emerged from hiding as she saw him approaching. He didn't step beyond the trellis, and she agreed with the decision not to defile his garden with the presence of a human, even if dead.

She stepped slowly toward him, noting the blood on his lips and the fierce energy in his eyes. He was always more lively after a meal, and she hoped he would dance with her later after he had finished.

"Shego..." he said upon seeing her again. Her name on his lips, somehow, was always an expression of love.

"Feast..." she said, slowing her approach until she stood in the center of the garden. "And then dance with me."

She began to move to the song of the flowers, a soft breeze making their fragrance even more prominent. She watched Drakken sit comfortably in the grass beyond the trellis before sinking his teeth into the throat of his victim and drinking the blood greedily, his eyes never leaving her. She swayed and spun and moved ardently to the song, her hands reaching out at times and grasping at the invisible music of love that so entranced her. There was no place in the forest with a song so beautiful as that of his garden.

She lost herself in the music, her hair falling wildly over her form as she closed her eyes and listened to the gentle melody of the lilies entwining with the rhythms of the ivy. And then she smiled as familiar fingers gently encircled her waist from behind. She leaned back into Drakken's familiar strength, and the fresh smell of blood cut through the sweet scent of the flowers. But she didn't mind as she relished in the feel of his hands sliding over her curves and then pushing her hair back with something like reverence before his lips found her neck.

He was always more amorous after a meal.

"Dance with me..." she murmured, setting her hands over his as they continued roaming her figure. "Dance to your song."

She quivered in delight as she felt him begin to sway with her, following her lead as she moved to the more gentle rhythm. She silently marveled at the love they had found together, something she hadn't even known could exist in her century and a quarter alive on the Earth.

She let her mind drift away with the music and with his tender touches, her eyes adjusting to the darkness as dusk became a dark, star-lit night. But when he finally began to release her and move away she turned and grasped his shoulders, gently pulling him down to his knees.

He looked hesitant, as always, but when he met her smiling eyes his resistance faded and he assisted her in pulling the shirt away from his shoulders. She laughed in delighted anticipation, knowing the night spent in his arms would be the greatest joy, made even greater knowing she was giving him joy in return. His happiness meant almost as much to her as her oak. Almost.

Though she did admit to herself...when she made love to Drakken, he was the only one on her mind.


	9. Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Credit for this idea goes entirely to [Split-n-Splice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/split_n_splice/pseuds/split_n_splice), although I did tweak it.
> 
> 9\. Cat

_**A/N: Credit for this idea goes entirely to Split-n-Splice, although I did tweak it.** _

_**9\. Cat** _

* * *

_"Drakken!"_

Drakken jumped at the sound of Shego's roar as she stalked into the lab. He spun in his wheeled chair to see her advancing toward him with a look of anger, her eyes slightly red.

"Yes?" he squeaked out, but he didn't think she heard him as she got so close that he shrank down in the chair and pushed it back against the edge of the workbench. She loomed over him, hands on her hips and reddened eyes wide in anger.

"What did I tell you about getting a pet?"

Drakken thought hard. "That...we're only allowed to have things that can kill Kim Possible?"

"And," Shego snarled, "that we have to talk about it first! So where is it?!"

Drakken shrank further, her voice getting louder with every word.

"Where is what?" he squeaked.

"The _cat!_ Don't you remember I'm allergic!?"

Drakken swallowed anxiously and shook his head. "Sh-Shego I didn't get any cat."

Something in his face must have spoken enough truth because after her eyes widened, she stepped back and began looking around in confusion.

"There's a cat in this lair somewhere. But if you didn't bring one in... Who did?"

* * *

"The nose is so tiny!"

"It has fluff between its toes."

"But the claws are so sharp!"

"Look at the pokey tail!"

"I used to have a kitten, but my dog ate it."

"Lux! It'll hear you!"

Shego and Drakken looked at each other, Shego through puffy red eyes that were weeping. Drakken sighed and opened the door all the way as he finished descending the stairs.

"Boys..."

The henchmen startled at the sound of their boss's voice, all turning around on the sofa in a hurry and trying to conceal the small gray kitten that Jameson held, which Drakken had already seen.

"H-Hi, Boss. What brings you down here? Bowling practice isn't until tomorrow."

"You know the rule... No cats. Shego is highly allergic."

The henchmen all exchanged nervous looks, and a few of them tensed when they spied Shego lingering in the stairwell. Finally, they brought the small creature forward and set it up on the back of the sofa.

 _'Mew,'_ meowed the cat.

"Aw but Boss, it was lost... Me and Tony found it," Jameson said, turning to lean on the back of the sofa. "It was lost and all alone."

Drakken sighed. "If you want a pet, you just have to follow the lair rules..." He gestured tiredly. "Nothing that can kill you unless its housed in a terrarium... Nothing that has to go out frequently... And no cats."

"But Boss..." Tony whined and held up the kitten in front of Drakken's face, "just look at it!"

Drakken bit his lip as he looked at the tiny creature, bringing its small paw up to rub its face as it rested calmly in the large henchman's hands. He understood completely why the men had fallen prey to the kitten's charms.

A familiar sound of burning air behind him signaled the igniting of Shego's glow. He swallowed nervously.

"It has to go. Today," he said, decisively, and hoped he sounded that way. "Give it to...one of your mothers or something, just get it out."

The henchmen all deflated, and Drakken turned and headed back to the stairs, sighing in relief. Now it was up to them to listen...

When he arrived at the stairwell and saw Shego's furious glare, he took another breath and looked back over his shoulder. The henchmen were all petting the kitten again.

"Boys?" he called back.

They tensed and looked up.

"You realize what will happen if you don't get rid of it?"

Shego's hands flared brighter next to him, and the henchmen recoiled in fright.

"I-I'll call my sister and see if she wants it," Tony said.

Drakken nodded, and then closed the door. Shego's hands went out as she walked beside him.

"Thagk you," she said, her voice unrecognizable for how swollen her throat had already become for the allergy. Drakken knew that without it, she could have made the henchmen give up their new pet with a single glare. But she wasn't about to appear weak in front of them, so it had been up to him. Even though she had been no help when they brought in a pet he was allergic to. He grimaced.

"I hope you remember this the next time they try to start an ant farm."


	10. Mushroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Drakgo cooking adventures, and a bit more. I wrote this straight through before work and didn't read it forgive errors please!
> 
> 10\. Mushroom

Drakken kept glancing at Shego as she slowly sliced the mushrooms on the cutting board, while he was making rapid work of shredding the cooked chicken breast. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she used the small knife with caution, determined not to cut herself. Drakken though had already received two cuts, but it was due to his inattention to his own tasks and his constant watching over hers.

He finished the chicken and placed the shredded pieces on a plate, his hands burning slightly from the freshly cooked meat. Then he turned back to the stove top where chopped bits of bacon had been cooking in the pan. He strained them, saving the bacon fat for later, and then lightly tapped Shego on the shoulder. She glanced at him.

"I'll do the white wine first, and after it's reduced a little I'll add the chicken stock."

Shego nodded, her brow still furrowed. "Still don't know why I'm learning this when you do all the cooking."

After pouring the wine into the pan and starting the reduction, Drakken walked up behind Shego and set his hands on her shoulders.

"Because you need to feel more confidence in the kitchen," he said gently, smiling down at her painfully slow slicing of the mushrooms.

She sighed, and he was certain she was rolling her eyes though he couldn't see. Her slicing continued.

Drakken gently pressed into her back, and then slid his arms around her middle. He felt her tense slightly as his hands protectively covered her second-trimester baby bump, but it didn't deter him. That was another thing she needed to gain confidence in.

He understood her fear, after the last time. But he knew that she, like him, already deeply loved the child within her. He wanted her to relax and enjoy the pregnancy, not just for her sake, but the baby's. They had done the research and understood that a mother's stress could negatively impact the growing child. In fact, he supposed that knowledge was the only thing keeping her as strong as she was.

He reached up to brush her hair back from her cheek and kissed her, letting his lips linger as he gently rubbed her belly.

"You're doing fine..." he said softly.

Shego's hands stilled in slicing the mushrooms. Drakken knew she had caught his double-meaning. Suddenly, she turned around and flung her arms around him, clinging to him tightly. He held her close, his arms surrounding her and drawing her into him as she silently cried against his neck.

The sudden tears were another fairly common occurrence, and he had only just arrived at a place himself where he didn't cry every time she did. But he was determined to be her example of strength as they braved the frontier of having a child again.

Shego's tears stopped almost as suddenly and she pulled away slightly. Her hands slid to his shoulders where her fingers dug into the flesh through his shirt.

"Sorry," she breathed, looking away guiltily.

Drakken let his fingers weave into her hair at the back of her head as he brought her into a deep kiss. He felt her tension begin to fade as a yearning hum left her lips. But their embrace was cut short as a familiar sound reached Drakken's ear.

He pulled away suddenly to lift the pan of reducing white wine off the burner as it began to boil. He glanced at Shego apologetically who looked very taken aback by his sudden absence from her arms, but the tension that had risen fell again as she watched him pour chicken stock into the pan and replace it on the stove.

"Sorry," he said, coming back to her arms. She set her head on his shoulder and sighed, and he was relieved to feel her relaxing as he held her close again.

"So when do we add the mushrooms?"

"We...should have sautéed them already, actually," he admitted.

Shego pulled away slightly, and he saw her grimace.

"But it's not a problem!" he said quickly. "We can sautée them in a different pan with the bacon fat, and then add the reduction. And...then we'll add the garlic and cream and finish the sauce."

"I'm still not sure about this savory crepe idea, either," she said. "I've only seen _coq au vin_ as a fancy dinner thing."

"Savory crepes are excellent, Shego... I'm surprised you've never had one."

Shego gave a slight shrug and slowly turned back to her assigned task of slicing mushrooms.

"When do you make the crepe...tortillas?" she asked, glancing briefly at the bowl of batter.

"That will be last, so they're hot," he said, moving behind her as he had previously.

"Mmh... I'll take your word for it."

Drakken leaned into her, his arms circling her as before. This time, Shego leaned back into him to his relief and delight. He covered her baby bump with his hands again kissed the side of her head over her hair. She hummed gently in response, so he repeated the action.

Shego's slowness in learning to cook did have certain benefits, he thought with a smile as he kissed her temple a third time. She hummed again, and he glanced back to check the sauce before resuming watching her methodical and slow slicing of the mushrooms.

He let one arm circle her further while his other hand remained protectively over her belly. He felt her smile, and his own grew. Benefits indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The baby events referenced in the story are from my fic [Rekindling](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24050503).


	11. Witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: A little bit of angst for you. Just a little. Well, okay it's mostly fluff.
> 
> But hey...I have finally learned to write tiny fics!
> 
> 11\. Witch

Shego's slam of the door was probably uncalled for she realized, as she saw Drakken jump from where he'd been hard at work at his desk.

"Shego?" he asked in alarm, looking her over quickly. Save for the foul expression on her face and her bad attitude, all was well. She watched as Drakken's panic evaporated, but his expression was still wary as he approached her. "Is everything all right?"

"Yeah..." she muttered in a tone that said clearly, everything wasn't. She thrust the small bag of groceries at him when he was close enough and then began to walk past him, ready to seek escape from her thoughts.

"Did something happen? Why are you upset?" Drakken pressed, following behind her.

Shego paused briefly in the hall before continuing on to the bedroom door. She didn't want to talk about it...and yet she knew that's why she was being so transparent with him.

Drakken followed her into the bedroom despite her silence, setting the grocery bag down on a chair while she sat heavily on the bed. Drakken knelt in front of her and began removing her boots for her. It had become too difficult for her to do herself in her third trimester of pregnancy.

Once her boots were off and the pressure around her feet released, she finally sighed.

"I killed a cockroach with my glow while I was out. A group of kids saw... They called me a witch."

Drakken looked up from where he had automatically begun massaging one of her feet, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Oh..." he remarked.

Shego rolled her eyes. "I know, weird thing to be bothered by, right?"

"I...would think...you'd like that you can still scare people?" he said carefully.

Shego rolled her eyes again. She did find it amusing and also ironic that even now, well over a year after she and Drakken has saved the world, in general the world's opinion of _her_ hadn't changed. And that was just fine with her; it meant that people left her alone. But in this case, something had begun nagging at her mind...

"Yeah, but...they were these little kids," she said. Drakken looked up again as she laid one forearm across the massive swell of her belly and leaned back to support herself on her other hand. "You...don't think that...our baby is going to be afraid of me, do you?"

Drakken's lips parted. He set her foot down and rose up on his knees in front of her, setting both hands on her belly.

"No. Our baby will love you," he said decisively, looking into her eyes. "If anything, it will be scared of me..."

Shego watched as he allowed the telltale flower peer out from behind his neck.

Shego shook her head and argued. "I'm green... I have powers... And I'm mean. I fit the stereotype. A flower is kind of cute."

Drakken moved nearer, rising up on his knees and sliding his arms around her waist, his middle pressing warmly against hers.

"The baby...will only see how much we love it," he said with a quiet confidence.

Shego glanced away and sighed. "I hope you're right..."

Drakken sat back on his heels again, pausing to place a long kiss on her belly. He resumed massaging her foot as his brow furrowed in frustration.

"Shego. I fell in love with you...despite anything you see as a flaw. I'm still amazed that you love me, with all of mine. But...our baby... The only thing it will know is our love. Even when it does see...our skin, and our powers...it won't see those as differences from others. It will just see _us_...and..."

Shego cut him off with her hands under his jaw. He looked up at her and his brow rose in surprise at the tears that had pooled in her eyes. He moved with her gentle tugging until their lips met in warm kiss. He set one hand on the bed for support, but rested the other atop her belly. She placed her hand over his as she kissed him deeply with all the love and peace that he constantly gave her, erasing her worries more and more with each passing day.

"You know," she said shakily when she finally pulled away, smiling in amusement at his breathlessness, "you're right."

He looked startled briefly, but then he nodded. "Of course I am. I'm always right."

She smirked and tapped his leg with her foot, and he turned and sat down to lean his back against the foot of the bed. She set her legs over his shoulders and shifted forward a bit to watch as he took her feet into his lap and continued the massage.

She leaned forward slightly, her baby bump touching his head as she did so. She began running her fingers through his hair, letting her nails scrape lightly against his scalp.

"No... But you are always right about one thing," she said softly.

He gave a slight turn of his head and she saw his brow rise in question.

"You're always right about us."

She could just barely see Drakken's smile in response to her words, and she shifted back again, relaxing into the comfort of his touch. He _was_ right. If she was a witch...whatever that meant...then it was just something else for him and their baby to love.


	12. Acorn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another one from "Stone House, Forest of Oak." This sequel wouldn't exist except for [this beautiful fan art by Gothicthundra](https://gothicthundra.tumblr.com/post/619418497966112768/art-prompt-numbah-two-literally-any-scene-from).
> 
> Cautious M-rating on this one.
> 
> 12\. Acorn

Drakken paced the darkness of his house, looking anxiously at the tiny hints of sunlight that were creeping through the wooden shutters that kept him safe in the absence of light. But it wasn't just the light he was anxious about.

He knew she was out there. He had watched Shego that morning as she shape-shifted into her truest form of an oak tree and took root just barely within view, next to the lily pond. She had already dropped many acorns, but she said that night would be the last night and they could begin planting them.

He glanced at the large basket that contained those he had already collected over several days, sitting safe near the foot of his bed. Dozens and dozens of small, perfect acorns, and they didn't even know if they would be viable or not. It had been a great source of anxiety for him, as it would break his ancient heart for her to be disappointed. And nearly as bad...then she would need to find another to fertilize her so that her oak line could continue.

He feared that her caring for him was tied to his ability to continue her line, and that she would leave him if he was unable to do so. And then he knew...he would spend his nights searching for a glimpse of her loveliness until her dying day, which would then be his. For the joy she had brought him could surely never be matched by another.

He knelt down in the darkness and reverently stroked the acorns in the basket. They felt like his children already, though he had no way of knowing if they could ever sprout. He was anxious for them to be planted, so they could finally know. And then, if he had failed, and it wasn't possible for a vampire and a dryad to breed...he could prepare himself to return to his eternity of misery.

* * *

He was unable to sleep that day, merely pacing and thinking and studying the basket of acorns. He had already prepared a small canvas bag of tools that he would use to plant the acorns as soon as she said it was time. But now...it was merely a matter of waiting for the sun to finish its descent.

Twilight was already upon the land, and he was able to peer out the window and see her, adding her beauty to his garden. She stood tall and sturdy, her green leaves lush and thick and her branches rising high above his arbor of angel's trumpets. She was utterly beautiful, and he would be forever entranced by her.

There were an unusual amount of fireflies that night, and he watched them blinking on and off as they silently moved through his garden, low over the flowers and over his lily ponds. He had never seen so many, and wondered if somehow they knew it was a special night. It was an irrational thought...but still it made him smile.

Movement beyond the fireflies drew his eye, and he watched with a gasp as Shego shifted back into her human form. He turned from the window and yanked the door open, but then stopped short and glanced back. He had nearly forgotten the basket of acorns.

He picked it up carefully, also putting the canvas bag over his shoulder, and then left the house, walking briskly down the flower-lined path and over the decorative stepping stones that would take him to Shego. He smiled broadly as he saw her, bending over to view her newest acorns with fireflies dancing around her lovely form. Their glow showed off the green and hidden crimson strands of her hair, and his breath caught as she slowly straightened with a thoughtful smile, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

There were no words to describe her perfection.

She turned then and saw him. Her smile made his knees weak, but still he walked toward her as she lithely ran toward him, her feet soundless in the soft grass.

"Drakken!" she cried joyfully, her green eyes bright as she smiled at him.

Any words he might have thought of saying vanished when he heard his name on her lips. He simply stared at her dumbly as she grinned at him in excitement, looking between his face and the basket of acorns over his arm.

"Come! Help me gather the rest!" she said, turning and skipping back to the other side of the pond.

Drakken followed, his eyes easily spotting the large acorns that had fallen from her branches. He watched her kneel and scoop one up as if it were fragile as glass before bringing it back to him and placing it in the basket.

"We can plant them tonight..." she said, looking thoughtful for a moment before smirking and bounding back to pick up another.

Drakken had arrived at the spot where she had rooted, and he set the basket down to begin picking up the acorns himself. The fireflies danced back and forth in front of his vision as he carefully picked up a few, while Shego made much faster progress with the way she danced as she moved.

He paused after awhile and looked at the little acorns at the bottom of the pond. He wondered if they were going to simply leave those there, or if she would still want them. He turned to look at her.

"Shego—?"

He stopped short as he watched her pick up the full basket and step directly into the pond. He imagined she was going to pick up the acorns in the water, but then...she poured the entire basket out, and the acorns fell with tiny splashes in a brown cascade.

Drakken blinked in surprise, watching her in confused fascination. The acorns all sank down to the bottom with the others, and then...Shego leapt up from the water with a joyous squeal, coming down with a splash that didn't perturb the fireflies in the slightest.

Her excited squealing continued as she sprang out of the water to his side, embracing him so briefly that he couldn't touch her, and then ran to hide behind a pillar, peeking out at him while biting her lip.

"Shego...?"

She giggled. "They sank. They _all_ sank!"

She suddenly came out from behind the pillar with an atypically sultry look on her face. His confusion faded as she slunk toward him, and he found himself frozen by her entrancing eyes and the smirk on her wine-dark lips as his heart began to race.

"They're all viable... Every one." She set her hand on his forearm where it was bare. "You're...very fertile."

He blushed fiercely, lifting a hand almost absently to touch one of the scars on her shoulder as was his habit. But she, in her typical nature, was grinning broadly again and bounding back into the pond. She looked up at him expectantly, and he picked up the basket she'd discarded and waded into the cool water after her.

She began gently scooping the acorns into the basket, sighing in contentment as she did so. He watched the ends of her long hair become wet by the water as she bent over, and he stared as he often did at the scars that covered her pale green body. She would never be less than perfection in his eyes. And now...

The second the acorns were all safely in the basket, Shego grabbed his arm and began tugging him away from the water. A melodious chuckle sounded from her chest that had him as enraptured as every word she spoke.

"All of them viable... Every one! We can plant so many tonight!" she cried happily. "The barren hills... In weeks they'll be covered with saplings..."

She let go his arm as she danced away in her excitement, soon running beyond his sight as she floated through the garden and under the trellis. He quickened his pace after her and then suddenly she danced back into view, smirking at him and making brief eye-contact before hiding behind the trellis.

Her joy was infectious, and his smile was broad as he approached her. She giggled again and skipped away, back into the garden and behind a pillar. His brow twisted in curiosity as he followed after her and saw her mischievous glance as she peeked at him briefly and then hid.

He sighed in happiness, used to her familiar antics but never certain what she might do. Sometimes she ran away, and it had taken him awhile to understand that she wanted him to chase her and that she wasn't actually running _from_ him. Other times she revealed a more seductive side, her antics more enticing and hinting at danger. Though what danger she could ever pose, he did not know.

When he neared the pillar, she suddenly leapt out in front of him, and he stopped cold. Her mischievous look turned sultry again, and she pushed her hair over her shoulders behind her back. He felt suddenly bashful with the way she was looking at him, presenting her naked scarred body to him. And then, she closed the distance between them.

He saw a brief glimpse of her coal-black eyelashes as her face suddenly moved toward his, and then she kissed him powerfully. He was grateful the handle of the acorn basket was over his arm as he felt his head begin to swim. His vision turned to a dance of blue and white stars, and every nerve ending he had left in his ancient body felt aflame.

He felt as though he were falling, with the gentle caress of her rough hands against his cheeks, and the soft and deliberate pressure of her lips against his. He was soaring through a world he had only learned existed through the intimacy they shared together. But through the joy, a worry that was becoming familiar fought to break through his mind...

He knew he could lose himself forever in every part of her. Her bright, vibrant eyes pierced his soul with each look. The silken texture of her hair under his fingers was mesmerizing. The beauty of her form that the scars could not hide endlessly aroused him. The music of her voice, and the hums of delight that left her lips were intoxicating. And the caress of her hands...the press of her lips...were transcendental.  
He wanted to spend every moment of his life watching her, touching her, and drinking her in. She was his every waking thought, and his every dream. The only thought, the only name on his mind was always...Shego.

As her lips continued to pour adoration into his tired soul, he was seized by the fierce desire to lay her down in the cool grass and make love to her under the stars. It wasn't something he had expected to crave, after thousands of years of disinterest and even disgust with the carnal act. But with Shego, it was different. It was _love_ , and he understood why the humans called it such.

It was under the stars in his garden she had given herself to him so many times, a gift that despite his desire was always hesitant to unwrap. A dark creature such as himself didn't deserve the wonder of her. But she wanted him, and he was helpless under her dancing eyes, her furtive touches, and her thrilling kiss.

So he worried. He worried that one day he would lose himself completely in all that was Shego, and that he would forget the sun... Someday...she would be the death of him.

Drakken couldn't put his arms around her for holding the acorns and the canvas bag, but kissed her back with gentleness and sincerity. He never took the gift of her for granted.

Her hands moved to his shoulders and the fire of her kiss calmed into feather-light touches that drove him just as wild.

"Oh, Drakken..."

Lust surged through his being, and he fought hard to quell it. But almost without his knowing his lips kissed her jaw, and then her neck, and then lingered over the scar on her shoulder. Yes...someday, she would be the death of him.

Shego reached for the basket of acorns as his kisses trailed down her arm, giving attention to each and every scar. He would be forever enraged that a creature so perfect as she had been brutalized by the axes, saws, and blades of humans. And so he kissed and caressed her scars as if he could somehow soothe the pain and the horrid memories of all that had been done to her. And the scars reminded him of the vow against the woodsmen, who together they sought to exterminate.

Shego took his arm as he kissed a scar on her fingers, accustomed to his behavior, and he straightened up with a shy smile.

"It's time to plant them," she said with reverence.

The look of joy and confidence she gave him caused a rare laugh to escape his lips, his sharp teeth catching the starlight in the moment they were visible in his elation. He hefted the canvas bag higher on his shoulder as together they walked down the path and out of the garden.

They passed through his dark manzanita grove and headed toward one of the closest hills, barren but for the occasional shrub and small tufts of grass that were alive in midsummer night's breeze. The fireflies that continued to move soundlessly over the land lit their way and created an other-wordly glow over the evening.

They arrived at the center of the hill which gave a view of the nearest valley and the sparse forest surrounding it, devastated by the woodsmen of the town. Behind them, the stone house was in full view of the hill. Shego stopped walking with a sense of assurance, and Drakken knew they had reached the place that would be the first of hopefully many nurseries.

"Shall we plant them here?" she asked with a thoughtful and curious smile, even though he knew she had already decided. "I want our daughters to be close to you... I can tend them in the day, and you can tend them at night."

"Yes," Drakken said with a new rush of anticipation. He still wasn't certain what their offspring would be like, but she was so confident...he couldn't help but share in her excitement.

Shego set the basket of acorns on the ground, and he knelt beside her. In preparation he had read about the planting of acorns, and he hoped to please her with his foreknowledge.

Shego had started to dig into the earth with her fingers, but he stopped her, his blue hands gently holding her green ones.

"Let me," he said softly, and took a trowel from his bag.

He dug a shallow hole, piling the dirt next to it so he could cover it when he was finished. Then he selected an acorn, holding it up to turn slowly in his hands, admiring it. The small, brown object would become another oak, like Shego... But it would also be his daughter. It was a marvel he couldn't begin to comprehend.

He placed the acorn gently on its side in the hole, and then with the trowel scooped the dirt back over it, concealing it. He donned his gloves before patting the dirt down lightly, realizing he was bound to get dirty for all the planting they would be doing that evening. And then he looked up at Shego.

His lips parted as he saw the tears in her bright, verdant eyes, the fireflies dancing around her head making their green depths appear even brighter. But her smile alone could have lit up the night sky.

"Drakken..."

His heart leapt in his chest. Each time she spoke his name, it was like new life had been gifted to him. He felt younger than his three thousand years of age with every moment spent in her presence.

"You'll tend them...so well. They'll be safe with you... Even after I'm gone..."

Drakken dropped the trowel in his hand and quickly gathered her into his arms in a protective hold.

"Don't...don't speak of that. You'll be..." he swallowed down the words 'with me,' "...here, for many years."

Tears filled his own eyes as she pulled out of the fierce embrace. Her enigmatic smile soothed some of his angst, and she lifted a hand to his cheek.

"Our daughters will be safe... And they'll grow so strong and sturdy under your care," she said, her face blooming into excitement again as she found her feet.

She bounded away, and Drakken picked up the trowel and acorn basket to follow her.

"Plant the next one here," she said happily, and when he reached her side he knelt to begin the process anew.

Hours passed, and the fireflies disappeared to leave the couple bathed in starlight as they planted acorn after acorn throughout the long night. Shego was excited about each one, wondering what their names would be. Drakken learned that each sapling would be named by Shego's oak, and that they would know their name instinctively upon coming of age. But she thought that Drakken's care might add some influence, and that their names may be more unique than the other oaks she knew.

They had planted over half of the basket when Drakken realized there was a violet glow over Shego's bark-like skin. It was nearing dawn, and as always...his heart sank at knowing he must leave her for so many hours. And worse, the summertime hours were long which meant the days were longer than the night. He would be confined to his house...wondering, and worrying if when she returned to her oak that day, she would fall prey to some dissenting woodsman.

"Shego...I have to go back," he said reluctantly as she caressed one of the acorns from the basket.

She looked up and her face fell briefly in sadness before she replaced the acorn and her smile returned.

"We'll plant the rest tomorrow night," she said brightly. "I'll watch them now."

Drakken glanced anxiously at the violet and rose-colored sky before bringing his focus back to her.

"What?"

"I can't bear to leave them. They're so young!"

Drakken was startled then as she suddenly shape-shifted back into her oaken form. He was briefly dismayed, but glancing at the sky again he knew he couldn't linger. He wrapped his arms around her trunk and pressed his cheek to her bark.

"I'll root here today," he heard Shego's silvery voice sound from somewhere above in her leaves. "I'll keep watch over them."

Drakken smiled. He wanted, as he had from the beginning, to thank her for letting him be the one... But he was still worried it wouldn't work in the end. Could there truly be offspring from a vampire and a dryad? And would she leave him if it turned out the acorns couldn't grow...

He took a deep breath. Soon... Soon, they would know.

He kissed her bark gently and then turned to leave, putting his gloves and the trowel back in his canvas bag. He slung it higher on his shoulder as he picked up the basket of acorns, pausing to admire them before finally returning to the house.

He sighed, which turned into a massive yawn. The night had been rewarding, and he was ready to sleep. A contented smile settled on his face.

He turned to go, and then suddenly he was surprised as Shego's human arms were around his neck and her lips were pressed against his. He returned the embrace as he was able and kissed her back. He felt the familiar and dangerous euphoria take him again, but before he could fully fall her lips left his.

He opened his eyes to see her smiling at him with affection.

"You'll be a wonderful father."

Drakken's heart soared. He was speechless, and only stared at her in awe as she stepped away from him with her enigmatic smile, pushing her hair back over her shoulder.

He sighed shakily, overcome with happiness. She...had called him the father of her children... Until that moment it had only been fertilization. But now he wondered with a radiant hope...if her care for him really was deeper, as his was for her.

The birdsong that was carried through the air on the breeze reminded him of the urgency that necessitated his departure, and reluctantly he began backing away from her, up the hill again and toward his home. He couldn't say goodbye, instead only smiled in awe as he moved away for several paces, and then finally turned his back to her. He hurried away through the dark, twisting trunks of his manzanitas and down the path to his house. He couldn't help himself but pause at the door, despite the rising light around him.

He looked back, through his garden and past the manzanitas to the edge of the hill. He could faintly see her, still in human form, watching him, her hair blowing lightly in the warm breeze. She lifted a hand as if reaching toward him, and then he watched her shift back into her oaken form.

She would watch over their children that day...and he would return to her to plant the rest in the night. He had never been more eager to go to sleep.

He sighed through a smile of pure delight, and went back into his stone house.


End file.
